…recalls council bosses
The Ogun State House of Assembly has alleged that the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun shortchanged the 20 local governments in the state of their share of allocation from the Federation Account while his administration lasted.
The Assembly, in a report on Thursday by its Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, said it discovered that Amosun’s administration paid only N12m to the local government areas and local council development areas in six months instalments for the 30 months under review.
It disclosed this on Thursday during its plenary where it lifted the suspension placed on the chairmen of the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in the state.
The chairmen were suspended by the 8th Assembly led by former Speaker Suraju Adekunbi shortly after Amosun left office on May 29, 2019.
The Assembly’s directive followed the passage of a resolution titled, ‘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 Areas and Local Council Development Areas across the State.’
The passage of the resolution came shortly after the committee’s chairman, Akeem Balogun, presented his report and moved the motion for its adoption.
The motion was seconded by Bolanle Ajayi and supported by the whole House through a voice vote.
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Balogun stated that after the Assembly’s various investigations, it was found that the local government areas and the LCDAs were shortchanged 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 areas and LCDAs only obtained N12m each paid in six months installments for the entire period of 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.”
Consequently, the Assembly recommended that the chairmen found culpable be referred to the appropriate agencies of government for further investigation.
