The Chairman of Ijebu-East Local Government, Ogun state, Mr. Wale Adedayo has accused the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun of diverting funds meant for the development of local government councils in the State.
Adedayo, in a letter to Chief Olusegun Osoba, a chieftain of the ruling APC, has alleged that over N10.8 billion fund of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme was also diverted by the Governor.
He claimed that the 10 percent of the State’s Internally Generated Revenue, which the constitution also stipulated should go to the councils has not been given since Abiodun became governor.
He attributed the diversion of funds as a reason for the dismal performance of the APC at the last general elections and urged Osoba to convince Governor Abiodun to allow the federal statutory allocation to reach each the councils.
Adedayo claimed that the penchant for denying LGAs their due federal allocations in the State began during the administration of the immediate-past governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
Adedayo said Osoba’s urgent intervention is sorely needed to persuade the State Governor to allow the statutory Federal Allocation to Local Governments in Ogun State reach each of them as envisaged by the 1999 Constitution.
He further disclosed that since the Ogun State Local Government Chairmen got on board in 2021, there has been no Federal Allocation to LGAs. The 10 percent of the State’s Internally Generated Revenue, which the Constitution also stipulated has also not been given since Abiodun got into office, he added.
He also noted that Local Government Chairmen have done very little or nothing since they were sworn in because the funds to work are being withheld by the 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 N2.9 billion. 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 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”, the Chairman asserted.