Adedayo recently accused the governor of withholding Federal Government funds meant for LGAs within the state.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday said the Mobile Policemen numbering over 100, arrived the LGA secretariat at Ọgbẹrẹ alongside some thugs, at about 9 am.
“Over 100 Mobile Policemen just stormed Ijẹbu-East LGA secretariat this morning around 9 am. They came with some thugs to remove the chairman, Wale Adedayo, on the order of governor Dapo Abiodun,” an eyewitness who simply identified himself as Tunde, said.
Segun, another eyewitness said, “The impeachment of the LGA chairman is currently ongoing, and there are so many police officers here, more than 100 of them. We heard that the order was from governor Dapo Abiodun.”
Meanwhile, the embattled council boss confirmed the police invasion on his Facebook on Thursday morning.
“Invading the peaceful Ogbere community with Mobile Policemen in order to impeach Wale Adedayo is desperation. As I told the SSG yesterday, we took an oath with our fathers that we’ll make this land better than we met it. You can kill the body, but not the spirit of Wale Adedayo,” the chairman wrote.
The LG boss was equally said to have been on his way to Abeokuta this morning to answer the summons of the operatives of the Department of State Security Services.
The PUNCH reports that Adedayo had dragged Abiodun before the Economic Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, demanding the investigation of the governor over alleged mismanagement of local government funds.
Adedayo accused Abiodun of withholding the statutory Federal Allocations due to the state’s local governments in the last two years.
According to the council boss, Abiodun has not paid a dime to Local Government accounts as federal allocation in the last two years.
Adedayo in separate petitions to the EFCC and ICPC on Tuesday called for the urgent intervention of the anti-graft agencies.
The council boss in the petition, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, also accused the governor of denying the local government chairmen of the Ecological Fund and other entitlements due to them.
The petition reads in part, “Your urgent intervention is sorely needed to convince the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, that the statutory Federal Allocation to Local Governments in Ogun State should be allowed to reach each of them as envisaged by the 1999 Constitution.
“Since we (Ogun State Local Government Chairmen) got on board in 2021, it has been ZERO Federal Allocation to each local government. The 10% of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, which the Constitution also stipulated should go to the local governments has not been given since Abiodun got into office. You may want to deploy the instruments of your office to confirm the veracity of my claim as well.
“Former President Muhammadu Buhari assisted the states and Local Governments with what we call palliatives today. They called it, SURE-P. The first sent to the 20 local governments in Ogun State was N2.5 billion. The second one was N2.6 billion. The third was N2.8 billion, while the fourth shortly before Buhari left office was N2.9 billion. Not a dime of these funds was released to ANY local government in Ogun State.
“The Ogun State Executive Committee of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria had a meeting with the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, early this year. The commissioner claimed that the 20 local governments owed the Ogun State Government N17 billion, which they continue to deduct. But I know for a fact that my Ijebu East Local Government is NOT owing Abeokuta one Naira! Kindly use your good offices to verify this fact.
“We have also heard about the Ecological Fund and others. These have developed wings too without trace. It is certain that the current one being packaged by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may likely follow the same course.
“And, we are the ones the people will abuse. I am the butt of jokes in my local government right now, with many saying one is incompetent. Meanwhile, the Federal Government regularly made these funds available, but it has NEVER been disbursed to us since we were sworn in.
“Truly, denying local governments their due Federal Allocations in Ogun State began during the Administration of former Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. And, as it is happening today, it was based on a spurious claim of helping some local governments, who may not be able to fulfil their obligations to the people because of financial challenges. Thus, all the funds are regularly collected into a central purse from where salaries and other dues are paid. Whatever that is left is often claimed by the state government as debts being paid by the local governments.
“Revenue sources, which the local governments should benefit from, have mostly been taken over by the state government. Motor parks and attendant dues which should go to each local government are being centrally managed by the state government. Primary school administration and control have been taken over too.
”There are many others. But, what I crave is for you to assist in helping our people. Why have they taken over the revenue sources of the local government? How do they want the grassroots to breathe? In Ijebu East Local Government Area, we have a complete rural section. Our people need roads, especially in the interior. They need water. The health centres are nothing to write home about.
”The primary schools are something else. It is a crying shame that, in 2023, some of our people still depend on water from the stream to drink. Be assured that I am readily available to answer any question about what I have written here.”
