LG Chairman Accuses Gov Abiodun Of Diverting Over N10.8 Billion Council Funds, Others

The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has been accused of diverting two years of statutory Federal Allocation due to the state’s Local Governments.

The Publisher Nigeria gathered that the allegation was leveled against the governor by the Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Wale Adedayo.

According to him, over N10.8 billion from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme was also diverted by the governor.

Adebayo alleged that the 10 per cent of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, which is constitutionally due to the local government, has not been given since Abiodun reportedly got into office as governor.

A factor he said contributed to the loss of some All Progressive Congress (APC) council seats in the last general election.

The allegation was contained in Adebayo’s letter addressed to former Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba and sighted by The Punch.

The Ijebu East Local Government Area Chairman claimed that denying local governments their due Federal Allocations in the State began during the Administration of former Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun.

Adebayo submitted in the letter, “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.

“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.