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BREAKING: Councillors suspend Ogun LG chairman who accused Abiodun of funds diversion
BREAKING: Councillors suspend Ogun LG chairman who accused Abiodun of funds diversion
A quorum of councilors in the Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State has suspended the Chairman of the LGA, Wale Adedayo, for three months on allegations of maladministration and financial mismanagement.
Reacting to the development, Adedayo told our correspondent that it might be true, adding that policemen bombarded the LGA secretariat alongside some thugs on Thursday morning.
“It might be true. Policemen bombarded the office along with thugs this morning,” Adedayo said in a tacit WhatsApp message following an inquiry by our correspondent.
The PUNCH reports that this followed the invasion of the LGA’s secretariat by over a hundred mobile policemen on Thursday morning, following an alleged move by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to impeach Adedayo. who recently accused the governor of withholding federal government allocations meant for LGAs within the state.
Seven councilors, Fasheyi Adesuji representing Itele Ward 7, Bolutife Osunfisan representing Imushin Ward 2, Kemi Aliu, representing Imobi Ward 10, Adeniyi Adenuga representing Imusin ward 1, Abass sidikat representing Owu ward 5, Biyi Oguntubo representing Imobi ward 9, and Rotimi Williams representing Ajebandele ward 11, on Thursday, said the LGA’s legislative council received various allegations that needed to be investigated, and directed Adedayo to appear before council at its next sitting on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
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In a resolution letter exclusively obtained by our correspondent, which was signed by the seven councilors, including the leader of the house, Fasheyi Adesuji, representing Itele Ward 7, 15 allegations were levelled against the suspended chairman.
They include, alleged “Withdrawal of N4million from LG account for empowerment in 2022, which never took place. Wastage of N2million on Iṣẹṣe Day on August 20, 2022. Duty tour allowance of N260,000 for the chairman and other top functionaries in June 2023.
“Another duty tour allowance for the chairman and other top officials’ engagement in Abeokuta to the tune of N250,000, also ratified in June 2023. N426,000 was purportedly spent on the production of a report on the 2020 Jigbo festival Ijẹbu-East when we were even yet to be elected. Claimant of N350,000 for the inauguration of Women in Politics in Ijebu-East in 2022; the money was not released to the group in 2022.
“Entertainment and other logistics expenses during the commissioning of a legislative building at N350,000 on April 18, 2023. Another entertainment on that same commissioning of the legislative building at N295,000 same day, 18th of April 2023. The second N8.2 million was sent from phase 2 of the project (table and the chair for schools) 20 chairs were made with N8.2m.
“Another N20million allocation from the state is nowhere to be found. Another N15 million sent from the state went the same way without any project to show for it. Award of two boreholes at the cost of N1.8 million each totaling N3.6million in August 2023. While he collects N3 million monthly as security votes, he has held on to the N300,000 monthly security vote of the Vice Chairman for about five months. He has refused to pay up despite several interventions and meetings on the issue by the ALGON executive, led by Tunde Emiola.
“Inability to account for over N2.5 million left in the Project Account of the council by the previous administration for the completion of a school at Kajola, ogbere. The school remains uncompleted to date. Illegal tax collection from Okada riders and drivers via what the chairman called “levy” without the approval of the Legislative Council, which is double taxation for the people of Ijebu East at this tough period. Having received the above allegations, there is a need for a thorough investigation by the House.”
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Following the listed allegations, the house further resolved, “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. The Council Treasurer, through the Head of the Local Government Administration, 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.
The PUNCH reports that Mr Adedayo had dragged Abiodun before the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, demanding the investigation of the governor over alleged mismanagement of local government funds.
Adedayo accused Abiodun of withholding the statutory Federal Allocation due to the state’s local governments in the last two years.
According to the council boss, Abiodun has not paid a dime to Local government accounts as Federal allocation in the last two years.
Adedayo in separate petitions to EFCC and ICPC on Tuesday called for the urgent intervention of the anti-graft agencies.
The council boss in the petition, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Tuesday also accused the governor of denying the local government chairmen of the Ecological fund and other entitlements due to them.
BREAKING: Councillors suspend Ogun LG chairman who accused Abiodun of funds diversion
News
Edo Election: Group accuses INEC of disenfranchising voters
Edo Election: Group accuses INEC of disenfranchising voters
A coalition of civil society organizations, under the aegis of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGOS), has raised an alarm over the alleged denial of the voting rights of Edo State citizens by the Prof. Yakubu Mahmood-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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FG borrows N3.8trn from CBN in 6 months, says new report
FG borrows N3.8trn from CBN in 6 months, says new report
In the last six months of 2023, the Federal Government of Nigeria received an additional N3.8 trillion in what appeared to be a fresh Ways and Means borrowing, according to a provisional data published in the latest statistics bulletin for the fourth quarter of the year recently released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
This is despite claims by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, that the President Bola Tinubu government had not borrowed money from the CBN.
The CBN’s provisional data showed that the total figure rose from N4.4 trillion at the end of June 2023, meaning that the cumulative Ways and Means balances due by the government grew to N8.2 trillion as at December 2023.
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Total Ways and Means balances as at May 2023 when the Tinubu administration took over was N26.95 trillion. However, the balances were securitised as included as part of the federal government’s domestic debt profile.
A breakdown of the data shows that the balance at the end of June 2023 was N4.36 trillion, indicating that the prior month balances may have been moved to the Debt Management Office.
However, from July 2023, the balances increase every month, first to N4.5 trillion in July, then N5.1 trillion in August, crossing the N5.1 trillion mark for the first time.
By September, the total was N6.4 trillion, representing the single largest additional borrowing for a month with about N1.3 trillion. It then climbed to N7.2 trillion in October before rising marginally to N7.6 trillion in November.
At the end of the year, in December, the total hit N8.21 trillion, suggesting that Ways and Means increased by 88 per cent in six months.
FG borrows N3.8trn from CBN in 6 months, says new report
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GRA regeneration scheme: Alake endorses housing projects
GRA regeneration scheme: Alake endorses housing projects
The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo has declared his support for the initiative of the Ogun State government to holistically transform the Government Reservation Areas (GRAs) across the state to bring back the faded glory.
Oba Gbadebo made this declaration when the management team of the Ogun State Ministry of Housing led by the Commissioner, Jamiu Akande Omoniyi, paid a courtesy visit to the Alake’s Palace, to intimate the Egba Traditional Council on GRA Regeneration Programme.
Alake, who expressed his delight about the project promised to rally Egba indigenes both home and in the diaspora to buy into the new scheme.
“I am very excited today because of the project you brought to me; you can count on my support. I just don’t support, but I realised the development that the project will bring to Egbaland. I’m sure with the location of the project, the housing units to be built will be over-subscribed”, the traditional ruler stated.
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The monarch, however, implored the Ogun State government to allocate the Third Phase of the Prince Court Estates in Kobape and Kemta Idi -Aba, Abeokuta, to the remaining successful applicants.
Addressing members of the Traditional Council members earlier, the Commissioner for Housing, Jamiu Akande Omoniyi, reeled out the successes recorded by the incumbent administration in the provision of affordable housing to the people of the state, saying the positive response received from people prompted the government to continue to build more for various categories.
He emphasised that the new GRA Regeneration Scheme is meant to create a modern, vibrant smart city.
“The programme is not merely about demolishing and reconstructing, it will bring a total transformation geared towards enhancing economic value of the state. Save for unforeseen circumstances, the project should be completed within 18 months.
“The project when commenced will also create employment benefits with the engagement of artisans within the host communities”, Omoniyi stated.
Responding respectively on behalf of the Egba Traditional Council, the duo of Asiwaju Onimoro and Onimoro of Egbaland, Chiefs Tokunbo Odebunmi and Adeniyi Akanni, appreciated the state government under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun for taking the bull by the horn with the GRA Regeneration Scheme, advising the government to be transparent about the project.
GRA regeneration scheme: Alake endorses housing projects
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