…as councillors suspend chairman who accused Gov Abiodun
Fresh crisis hit Ogun State, on Thursday, as councilors reportedly suspended the Chairman of Ijebu-East Local Government Area, Hon Wale Adedayo, who accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting councils’ allocations.
This is just as the Ogun State House of Assembly, on Thursday, intervened in the matter by inviting the state Accountant-General, Mr Babatunde Aregbesola and members of the State Joint Account Allocation Committee, popularly known as JAAC.
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Taiwo Oluomo, issued the invitation during Thursday’s plenary, directing that the meeting would hold on Friday, September 1, 2023, at 1:00pm.
Earlier on Thursday, over 100 armed policemen and thugs invaded the council secretariat in Ogbere allegedly to aid the plot to impeach the embattled chairman.
Recently, Adedayo had in a letter to ex-governor Segun Osoba and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accused Governor Abiodun of diverting local government funds.
But the governor had denied the allegations, insisting that his administration always augments LGs’ allocations to allow the councils to meet monthly obligations.
Surprisingly, on Tuesday, the elected LG chairmen led by their leader, Hon Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, on behalf of Adedayo, prostrated and begged Governor Abiodun for forgiveness.
The viral video and photographs showing all the LG chairmen prostrating and begging Abiodun to forgive them attracted more knocks on social media for the Governor.
Adedayo, who raised the allegations against Abiodun was said to also be in attendance during the perceived truce meeting.
But on Thursday morning, councillors began moves to impeach the embattled Ijebu East LG chairman.
Armed policemen and political thugs were said to have been mobilised to the council secretariat in Ogbere to effect the plot to impeach Adedayo.
The Department of State Services has also invited the Ijebu East LG chairman over his allegations against the governor.
In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, Adedayo confirmed the alleged invasion of the council secretariat.
He wrote, “invading peaceful Ogbere community with mobile policemen in order to impeach Wale Adedayo is desperation. As I told the SSG yesterday, we took an oath with our fathers that that we’ll make this land better than we met it. You can kill the body, but not the spirit of Wale Adedayo.”
Meanwhile, Councilors in Ijebu East LG have announced Adedayo’s suspension for three months on allegations of maladministration and financial mismanagement.
On Thursday, seven councilors said the Legislative Council received various allegations that needed to be investigated.
They have, therefore, directed the suspended council chairman to appear at their next sitting on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
The seven councilors, including Fasheyi Akindele Adesuji, the Leader of the House; Bolutife Osunfisan, Deputy Leader; Kemi Aliu, Adeniyi Adenuga, Abass Sidikat, Biyi Oguntubo, and Rotimi Olubode Williams, said no fewer than 15 allegations bearing on misappropriation of funds had been levelled against the embattled council chairman.
They, therefore, resolved that “That the Chairman steps aside for the proper conduct of investigations.
“The Council Chairman, Hon. Wale Adedayo, is hereby suspended for three months pending the conclusion of the investigations and therefore directed to handover all the properties of the Council in his possession to the Vice Chairman, who will act as the Chairman during the suspension of the Chairman as provided in the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“The Council Chairman is directed to appear before the House on the next sitting of the House on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
“That the Council Treasurer, through the Head of the Local Government Administration (HOLGA) should furnish the financial/bank statement of the Council in the last two years, along with other relevant documents and vouchers as the House may require in order to aid investigations.
“That the above Resolutions be copied to the Governor of Ogun State and the Ogun State House of Assembly.
“The sitting is hereby adjourned to Thursday, September 14, 2023.”
Adedayo has yet to respond to the development as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Oluomo, in summoning the state’s Accountant-General and JAAC members over the matter, explained that the invitation was premised on Section 128(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), adding that the Assembly had been empowered to investigate and take necessary actions to expose corrupt practices.
Oluomo also said that the invitation became imperative “given the myriad of messages and mails received from different quarters regarding the Federal Allocation to Local Government Councils in the state.”
The Speaker appealed to residents of the state, particularly the people of Ijebu East Local Government Area to maintain peace and orderliness, assuring them that the Assembly would perform its statutory duties in line with the rule of law.