I’ll challenge my suspension democratically, says embattled council chairman
The embattled Chairman of Ijebu-East Local Council in Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, was, yesterday, suspended by the legislative council members over allegation of maladministration and financial mismanagement.
Adedayo, had in a letter to former Governor Segun Osoba and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting councils’ funds.
Abiodun also had denied the allegations and insisted that his administration always augments councils’ allocations to allow them meet monthly obligations.
But in an unexpected turn of events, all elected council chairmen in the state on Tuesday, led by their leader, Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, prostrated and begged the governor for forgiveness over the allegation by one of them.
Adedayo, who raised the allegation against Abiodun, was in attendance during the perceived truce visit.
Meanwhile, The Guardian gathered that amid tight security, seven councillors, led by their leader, Fasheyi Adesuji, from Itele Ward 7, suspended Adedayo for three months.
The councillors said the legislative council received various allegations that needed to be investigated and directed Adedayo to appear at its next sitting on Thursday, September 14, 2023.
According to them, 15 allegations were levelled against the chairman.
They resolved that the chairman should step aside for proper conduct of investigations.
The allegations include withdrawal of N4 million from the council’s account for empowerment in 2022, which never took place; wastage of N2 million on Isese Day on August 20, 2022; duty tour allowance for the chairman and other top functionaries worth N260,000 in June 2023; among others.
However, the suspended chairman, in a statement, has vowed to challenge his suspension democratically, describing his purported suspension as a “hoax and one that was forced down the throat of the lawmakers, having been allegedly baited with N1 million.”
The statement said: “The suspension or impeachment of a council chairman ought to follow due process. The first stage is a letter to me about the so-called infractions.
“Of course, they stormed the council secretariat with more than 100 armed policemen this morning along with thugs and agberos. They think we were going to react violently as they had prepared. We are in a democracy. We’ll challenge them democratically.”
“All the allegations are baseless and without foundation. They forcefully marched the Clerk of the House to Abeokuta yesterday along with the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA). So, we knew what the governor was up to before the charade this morning.
“Two of the councillors were led to the council at gunpoint. And immediately they finished, all of them were taken in a vehicle to Abeokuta. Of course, I was told that N1 million was given to each person who signed. We are not bothered. Once the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) comes, the books of the council would also be opened for them to see,” the statement concluded.
