Abiodun diverted Ogun LGs’ allocations, N10.8bn bailout, council boss alleges

The Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, has accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting the statutory Federal Allocation due to the state’s Local Governments in the last two years.

Adedayo, in a letter written to former Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, on Sunday, and obtained by our correspondent alleged that over N10.8bn fund of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme was also diverted by the governor.

The LG boss claimed that the 10 per cent of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, which the constitution also stipulated should go to the local government has not been given since Abiodun reportedly got into office.

While attributing the diversion of funds as a key reason the All Progressives Congress lost some of the councils in the last general election, Adedayo urged Osoba to convince Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow the Federal statutory allocation to reach each of the councils.

According to him, the trend of denying local governments their due Federal Allocations in the State began during the Administration of former Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

He added, “This letter should have been written about two years ago. But I was wary of what many naive people would say about me. Besides, at your age and given the level of your selfless contributions to the development of our state, and Nigeria in general, we expect you to be taking a well-deserved rest at this time.

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“Your urgent intervention is sorely needed to convince the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, that the statutory Federal Allocation to Local Governments in Ogun State should be allowed to reach each of them as envisaged by the 1999 Constitution. Since we (Ogun State Local Government Chairmen) got on board in 2021, there has been Zero Federal Allocation to each local government. The 10% of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, which the Constitution also stipulated should go to the local government has not been given since Abiodun got into office.

“Now, the negative consequences of Zero Federal Allocations to Local Government Councils in Ogun State should be clear for all to see. We should not have lost the last elections in all the places we did during the Governorship and House of Assembly polls if our local governments were being funded as provided for in the 1999 Constitution. I am not proud to say that we (Local Government Chairmen) have done very little or nothing since we were sworn in because the funds to work are being withheld by Mr. Governor.

“Former President Muhammadu Buhari assisted the states and Local Governments with what we call palliatives today. They called it, SURE-P. The first sent to the 20 local governments in Ogun State was N2.5 billion. The second one was, N2.6 billion. The third was, N2.8 billion, while the fourth shortly before Buhari left office was N2.9bn. Not a dime of these funds was released to any local government in Ogun State. The Ogun State Executive Committee of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) had a meeting with the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, early this year. The Commissioner claimed that the 20 local governments were owing the Ogun State Government N17 billion, which they continue to deduct. But I know for a fact that my Ijebu East Local Government is NOT owing Abeokuta one Naira!

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“We’ve also heard about Ecological funds and others. These have developed wings too without trace. It is certain that the current one being packaged by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may likely follow the same course. And, we are the ones the people will abuse. I am the butt of jokes in my local government right now, with many saying one is incompetent.

“In Ijebu East Local Government Area, our people need roads, especially in the interior. They need water. The Health Centres are nothing to write home about. The primary schools are something else. It is a crying shame that, in 2023 some of our people still depend on water from the stream to drink! Great Awo provided pipe-borne water almost 60 years ago.”

Efforts to get the response of the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Lekan Adeniran were not successful.

He promised to send a statement but had yet to do so at the time this report was filed.

Meanwhile, Adedayo has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, urging the institution to investigate the same allegations against the governor.

Punch