The Ogun State Government have refuted reports that its administration had given local governments no income allocation, stating that it had never altered the money and had simply added to the allocated cash from the Federation Account to help them fulfil their commitments.
Recall that on Monday, Wale Adedayo, the chairman of the Ijebu East Local Government, wrote a letter alleging that the governor had misappropriated the statutory allocation monies, resulting in zero revenue being distributed to local governments in the state since 2021.
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, stated on Tuesday that the local government finances have never been tampered with because they are managed by the constitutionally acknowledged Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC).
However, following the governor’s response , the Association of Local Government Chairmen , ALGON, led by Emilola Gazal chairman of Ijebu Ode LG held an emergency meeting with the Governor at the Governor’s office in Oke-Mosan where they tendered an unreserved apology to Dapo Abiodun while prostrating along side other members over the statement.
Meanwhile the Supervisory Councillors in Ogun State’s Ijebu East Local Government Council distanced themselves from the claims made by Wale Adedayo, the Council Chairman.
The local government officials said in a statement released on Wednesday that they were “not in tandem with his actions” and “wouldn’t have been in support of any actions that will stall progress and development of the Local Government .
The statement was jointly signed by Supervisor for Community Development, Hon Folake Adetayo, Supervisor for Agriculture, Hon. Kunle Adesanya, Supervisor for Finance, Hon Jesse Osibanjo and Supervisor for Water and Environment Services, Hon. Fowora Abayomi.
The statement partly reads: “The Association of Supervisory Councilors and other political appointees of Ijebu East Local Government has expressed our displeasure with the manner with which the Local Government Chairman is going about alleging and casting aspersions on the person of H.E Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State.
“We want to sincerely say we are not in tandem with his actions and wouldn’t have been in support of any actions that will stall progress and development of the Local Government under any guise whatsoever.
“It is also note worthy to state emphatically that we are not part of the spurious the allegations raised against the Governor of Ogun State who have on several occasions sent monies in batches to the Local Government for development.
“The Chairman, in his own words, has said in his 2023 Budget Speech that the Ijebu East LG Council received N50 million (fifty million naira) from the state government in 2022 and generated another N50 million as IGR in 2022 totaling N100 million (One hundred million. Whether the allocations were judiciously spent is left for the Chairman, the Head of the Local Government Administration and the Local Government Treasurer to defend as they are best placed to state the position of things.
“On several occasions, spendings have been carried out without relating with other members of the cabinet documents of financial transactions and approvals were never given to the cabinet members as they are always secretly done between the Chairman, the HOLGA and the Treasurer.
“Though, no charges have been made public, but we urge the State Government and the House of Assembly to set up Committees to look into the spendings of the Local Government since 2001 and know its true financial State.
“We once again state unequivocally that we remain loyal and committed to the mission and vision of the State for the advancement and development of Ijebu East Local Government and therefore disassociate ourselves totally from the ignoble actions displayed in the last two days by the Local Government Chairman, Mr. Wale Adedayo
