The suspended Ogun local government chairpersons

Adejoke Adeleye/Abeokuta

The suspended local government chairpersons in Ogun State have asked the anti-graft agencies to probe past Governor of Ogun state Senator Ibikunle Amosun over their ability to perform their functions in the 33 months they were in office.

It would be recalled that the local government chairmen were suspended by the 8th Assembly under the leadership of Rt. Hon Suraj Adekunle for financial misappropriation few weeks after the current government assumed office.

The aggrieved Chairmen, led by Hon Semiu Bola Lawal, the Chairman of Odeda Local government who is also the chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), claimed that the past administration denied them of their finances and ridiculed them for 32 months.

According to them, the local governments under the administration of Amosun, were in a state of comatose and rendered impotent as they could not execute any project.

Semiu in his statment also alleged that, “The whole 20 LG and 37 LCDA in Ogun state collected a sum of N14million each staggered installment spread over 31months.

“Council Chairmen collected a sum of N229,000 each as monthly salary without additional, lawful allowances for this same period as provide for under the law.”

“Out of 32 months in office, only 10months Security allowance of N500,000 were received by the chairmen, council chairmen does not have official cars.

He also alleged that they were treated as mere appendage to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

“Mere circular overrides provision of the constitution and extant laws. All Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of LG were taken over by ministries and parastatals at the behest of the past Governor who governed the state with fiat and impunity.

He added that the LG chairpersons kept quiet under the ignoble conditions for 32 months out of the 36 months because members who were bold to point out the anomalies were threatened, harassed, assaulted and in the extreme, impeachment orchestrated.

The suspended chairmen used the opportunity to call on Governor Dapo Abiodun to prevail on the House of   Assembly to allow matters concerning their suspension to be looked into, so that they can go back to office to conclude their tenure.

They also urged the governor to look into and address the issues of  their welfare and entitlements by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Semiu on behalf of other aggrieved chairmen urged the anti-graft agencies to look into how funds due to their local governments were mismanaged by the past administration from October 2016 till date.

The chairmen also used the opportunity to warn Barr. Monday Ubani to desist from approaching the court on their behalf as he cannot shave their heads in their absence.

He added that the association will explore political option to resolve the present crisis because it is immorally wrong for them to go to war with the present government who has made it a policy statement to revive LG from it dying state.

They also noted that the governor has made a policy statement in his campaign manifesto that he would allow local governments to run effectively and efficiently without hindrance of any sort.

“Apart from our sudden realization of our pathetic state and barely two months to the expiration of our tenure, we consider a legal option to this imbroglio as non- tactful and an exercise in futility considering the time frame,” he said.