Local Government chairmen in Ogun State on Tuesday
prostrated before Governor Dapo Abiodun, seeking forgiveness over a comment
made by their Ijebu East counterpart, Wale Adedayo, that Abiodun had diverted
funds meant for the councils.
Adedayo had written a letter to former Governor Olusegun
Osoba and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the manners
in which local government funds were being spent.
Adedayo had claimed that the 20 local governments in Ogun
State were being run on zero allocation due to the joint account being operated
by the State and local governments.
According to him, the development had prevented local
government chairmen from performing their functions to people at the grassroots.
He alleged that the bail-out funds and Ecological funds
meant for the councils did not get to them, but were diverted by Governor
Abiodun.
However, at a meeting held with all the council chairmen
yesterday, apologies were tendered to the governor.
In a video released by the governor’s media team, the
Chairman of Ijebu-Ode Local Government, Emilola Gazal, while speaking on behalf
of his colleagues, pleaded with Abiodun to forgive them as a father that he is.
Gazal said: “We are here to beg you as a father that you are
in this state. Your Excellency, please forgive us. If you don’t forgive us, who
do we go to? So, on behalf of all of us, I’m tendering this apology, and in
particular, on behalf of Wale Adedayo.”
After saying this, the council boss prostrated before the
governor and others followed suit as they begged Abiodun to forgive them.
Responding, Abiodun said he had been operating with every
iota of sincerity of purpose.
Abiodun said he had continued to ensure that “I am guided
with all the promises I made in the course of my journey to the governor’s
office.”
Adedayo himself was at the meeting,
but it could not be immediately confirmed whether or not he also prostrated to
beg Gov Abiodun, whom he had accused of diverting council funds.
Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has called on the State
House of Assembly to investigate the allegations raised by Adedayo.
Adebutu said he had since 2021 been complaining about the
way local government funds were being managed in the State.
Adebutu, who spoke through his media aide, Afolabi Orekoya,
said the outburst of a serving chairman, Adedayo had vindicated him.
He claimed that, “a total amount of N153bn had been diverted
and that is why our local governments are in a terrible state.”
But, the governor has debunked all allegations that he
diverted council funds since he came on board.
Instead, Abiodun said that he had been augmenting the local
government funds coming from the federation account so that the chairmen could
meet their financial obligations, especially the payment of salaries.
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