Having been suspended for barely four months by the 8th Legislature for alleged misappropriation of funds at the local government level, Ogun State House of Assembly has lifted the suspension placed on the Chairmen of the the 20 Local Government Councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the State.
The Assembly’s directive was consequent upon the passage of a resolution entitled “HR No./043/ OG/2019- Report of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Respect of the suspended Political office Holders in all the Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas across the State”.
The passage of the resolution came shortly after Akeem Balogun presented his Commitee’s report and moved the motion for its adoption, which was seconded by Bolanle Ajayi and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote.
The report partly states, “following the receipt of various petitions on allegations of financial misappropriation and non performance leveled against the Chairmen of the 57 Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the State, the 8th Legislature via House Resolution 018/2019 on Friday, 31st May, 2019 suspended all political office holders in all the Local Government Councils and LCDAs in the State”.
Subsequently, after the Assembly’s various investigations, the House noted that: “All the Local Government and LCDAs were short changed in terms of allocation from the Federation Account by the immediate past administration in the State. It was detected that each of the local government councils and LCDAs only obtained the sum of twelve million Naira (N12m) each, paid in six months instalments for the entire period of thirty (30) months under review.
Majority of the Chairmen were found guilty of complacency and docility in the face of constitutional breach on their functions and finances by the immediate past administration of the State. Majority of the Chairmen were found guilty of not keeping proper records of activities of their councils and nonchalant attitude and violation of procedural rules and financial guidelines by council officials”.
Consequently, the Assembly recommended that those chairmen found culpable be referred to the appropriate agencies of government for further investigation, with a directive to them to put their respective councils in order to ensure transparency and accountability in the administration of the third tier of government.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
