The Legislative Council of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State has announced the suspension of Mr. Wale Adedayo, chairman of the council, for a period of three months over what it described as ‘financial maladministration’.
Adedayo had accused Dapo Abiodun, the state governor, of diverting local government funds.
But, he along with other local council chairmen, later went to the governor to apologize and beg for forgiveness as captured in a video that went viral on Wednesday.
But despite the apology, the local government lawmakers, in a letter titled, “Financial Maladministration of Hon. Wale Adedayo as Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Ogbere, Ijebu”, said the Council legislators had received several allegations against the Chairman Mr. Adedayo, who had accused the governor of withholding the LGs’ allocations.
The letter was signed by the Leader of the House, Hon. Fasheyi Akindele Adesuji and six other Councillors.
While directing Mr. Adedayo to hand over all the Council property in his care to the Council Vice Chairman, the Councillors noted that the three months suspension will enable them carry out necessary investigation of the Chairman.
Some of the allegations levelled against Mr. Adedayo included; that the Chairman withdrew N4million from the local government account for empowerment in 2022, but no empowerment was done till date, wastage of N2milion naira on August 20, 2022 on Isese festival, N250,000 duty tour allowance for the Chairman and other top functionaries in June 2023 and nother N250,000 duty tour allowance for the Chairman and other top officials engagement.
Others allegations are; the Chairman purportedly spent N426,000 on production of report on 2020 ‘Jigbo’ festival in Ijebu East, when we were even yet elected, inauguration expenses of Women in Politics in ljebu East LG N350,000 in 2022, but no money was released to the women group.
“Entertainment and other logistics expenses during the commissioning of Legislative Building building N350k on 18th of April 2023. Another entertainment on the same commissioning of the Legislative Building N295k same day, 18th of April 2023”.
“The second 8.2 million sent from phase 2 of the project (tables and the chairs for schools) 20 (twenty) chairs were made with N8.2m. (Eight million two hundred thousand naira)”.
“Another N20 million sent from state is nowhere to be found.”
“Another N15 million sent from the state went same way without any project to show for it.
“Award of two boreholes at a scandalous price of N1.8 milliom each, totaling N3.6 million for just two boreholes, 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 Executives, led by Hon. Tunde Emiola Gazal and inability to account for over N2.5m left in the project Account of the council by the previous administration for the completion of a school at Kajola, Ogbere, and the school still remain uncompleted till date”.
Mr. Adedayo was also accused of Iilegal tax collection from Ijebu East Okada riders and drivers via what he called “levy” without the approval of the Legislative Council, which is double taxation for the people of ljebu East at this tough period.
The letter read, “having received the above allegations, there is need for thorough investigation by the House. The House therefore resolved as follows: 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.
“That the Council Treasurer, through the Head of the Local Government Administration (HOLGA) should furnish the House with 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”.
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