The Lagos State House of Assembly has suspended Sulaimon Jelili, chairman, Alimosho Local Government Area, indefinitely over alleged non-compliance and unyielding attitude to the legislature.
The House, in a unanimous voice vote, passed on Monday, also mandated Akinpelu Johnson, the council vice chairman to take over the affairs of the council.
The assembly further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise the authority of the vice chairman and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.
Recall that in April, pandemonium broke out in the Iyana-Ipaja axis of Alimosho Local Government leading to the death of one Micheal Ajayi.
Sanni Okanlawon, chairman of the House committee on local government administration and chieftaincy affairs, who investigated the cause of the pandemonium, moved the motion for the suspension of the council chairman.
According to Okanlawon, all stakeholders involved in the issue were invited, but Jelili continued to show acts of misconduct to the committee of the House. Okanlawon accused Jelili of failure to adhere to the assembly’s directives and mismanagement of public funds.
The committee chairman, therefore, called for Jelili’s immediate suspension in line with relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Read also: Lagos Assembly suspends 3 council chairmen
“He should be suspended immediately while the vice chairman takes over with immediate effect,” he prayed.
Noheem Adams, the majority leader of the House, while supporting the call for Jelili’s suspension, added that the action would make other local government chairmen sit well.
“The Alimosho council chairman does not follow procurement processes in the budget. There have been a lot of misconducts from him and I support that the chairman be suspended indefinitely,” he said.
Nureni Akinsanya, chairman of the House committee on public accounts for local government, referred to a report submitted by the state auditor-general about Jelili’s activities.
Akinsanya said the report underscored the council chairman’s consistent non-compliance with financial regulations, with significant irregularities in his records.
He emphasised these discrepancies and supported Okanlawon’s call for Jelili’s suspension.
Similarly, Ladi Ajomale expressed surprise that the council chairman had been recalcitrant despite previous reports detailing his alleged financial mismanagement.
Sa’ad Olumoh also prayed the House to invite Kolade Alabi and Rasak Ajala, chairmen of Bariga LCDA and Odi Olowo LCDA respectively, as heads of the Conference 57, to explain the widespread disregard by council chairmen for governance protocols.
Mudashiru Obasa, the House speaker, who presided over the sitting, directed Olalekan Onafeko, the clerk of the House, to communicate the assembly’s resolution to all relevant authorities.
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