A group of councilors in the Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State has decided to suspend the Local Government Chairman, Wale Adedayo, for a period of three months.
The suspension comes in light of accusations involving in ‘financial maladministration’ and improper administration.
This was made known in a letter by the LG lawmakers titled, “Financial Maladministration of Hon. Wale Adedayo as Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Ogbere, Ijebu.”
As stated in the letter, the Council members had been presented with numerous claims against Chairman Adedayo. He had previously asserted that the governor was holding back the allocations meant for the local governments.
The signature on the letter belonged to the House Leader, Hon. Fasheyi Akindele Adesuji, along with six additional Council members.
In response, Adedayo mentioned that the allegations could hold some truth. He also shared that “Policemen bombarded the office along with thugs this morning.”
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Following this recent development, Adedayo has been directed to transfer all Council assets under his responsibility to the Council Vice Chairman. The Council members have specified that the three-month suspension will provide them the opportunity to conduct a necessary inquiry into the Chairman’s actions.
Among the accusations leveled against Adedayo are the following: withdrawal of N4 million from the local government account in 2022 for empowerment purposes, which remains unutilized; a N2 million expenditure on the Isese festival on August 20, 2022; payment of a N250,000 duty tour allowance for the Chairman and other senior officials in June 2023; and another N250,000 duty tour allowance for the Chairman and other high-ranking officials’ engagement.
“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.
Additional accusations include the Chairman’s alleged expenditure of N426,000 on generating a report for the 2020 ‘Jigbo’ festival in Ijebu East, a period prior to our election; disbursement of N350,000 in 2022 for the inauguration expenses of the Women in Politics in Ijebu East LG, although the funds were reportedly not released to the women’s group.
According to reports, it has been alleged that there was a questionable award of two boreholes, each priced at N1.8 million, making a total of N3.6 million for just these two boreholes. This happened in August 2023. Alongside this, it was stated that he receives a monthly security vote of N3 million. Furthermore, it was noted that he has been holding onto the monthly security vote of the Vice Chairman, which amounts to N300,000, for approximately five months. Despite numerous interventions and meetings by the ALGON Executives, led by Hon. Tunde Emiola Gazal, he has not released the funds.
Additionally, there were concerns about his inability to account for over N2.5 million that was left in the council’s project account by the previous administration. This fund was meant for the completion of a school in Kajola, Ogbere. Unfortunately, the school remains incomplete as of the current date.
It was alleged that Adedayo engaged in unauthorized tax collection from Okada riders and drivers in Ijebu East, which he referred to as a “levy.” This collection reportedly took place without the approval of the Legislative Council.
This situation was deemed as double taxation for the residents of Ijebu East, particularly burdensome during the challenging circumstances they currently face.
The letter also stated,
“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.”