A faction of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in Ogun State has asked the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies to probe council allocations under the immediate past governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
The faction’s chairman, Bola Lawal, while addressing journalists on Monday, claimed that the council bosses who were recently suspended for financial misappropriation did not have access to their allocations for 33 months during their stay in office under Amosun’s government.
He added that the council chairmen only collected “N14m each in seven staggered installments spread over 31 months.”
“We knew nothing about the funds. So, we are not answerable to how the funds were spent or what happened to them and if any question is to be answered, the former administration should be asked to do so.”
The chairmen of the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas were suspended by the eighth state House of Assembly immediately after Governor Dapo Abiodun assumed office in May.
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Sequel to the decision by the assembly, the body of LG chairmen was polarised. A group believed to be loyal to Amosun threatened a legal action if they were not reinstated, while the Lawal-led faction threw its weight behind the assembly’s position.
Lawal, flanked by 19 suspended council bosses, told journalists that his group prefered “political solution” to their suspension rather than legal means.
Lawal, who was chairman of Odeda Local Government, alleged that Amosun rendered council administrations impotent and “governed the state with fiat and impunity.”
He urged the governor to prevail on the state assembly to fast-track the ongoing investigation to put an end to the current crisis.
Lawal said “Most importantly, in the light of weighty allegations against council chairmen, we urge relevant anti-graft agencies to look into the local government funds from October 2016 till date.
“Council chairmen did not have official cars; no imprest and were subjected to ridicule by the last administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
“Local government administration under Amosun was comatose and rendered impotent.
“No project could be executed; councils couldn’t be efficient. We kept quiet under this ignoble condition for 31 months out of our 36 months tenure of office. We did not consider any war against the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun because we were in the same party.” [PUNCH]
