Alleged Ogun LG Fund Diversion By APC Govt: PDP Insists On Probing Of Allegation

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Ogun State has insisted on probing of  the allegation of fund diversion against Governor Dapo Abiodun by the Chairmen of the 20 Local Governments in the state, inspite of the immediate denial by the Councils' Chairmen

The  Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) led by its State Chairman, Hon. Emiola Gazal of Ijebu-Ode Local Government  had on late evening of Tuesday pleaded with Governor Abiodun in his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office, disassociating the Councils'Chairmen from the allegation of funds diversion in the opened letter written by Chairman of the Ijebu East Local Government, Hon. Wale Adedayo 

But the State Chairman of PDP, Hon. Sikirulah Ogundele in a statement on Wednesday insisted on probing of the allegation by the Ogun State House of Assembly as a separate and independent arm of government constitutionally empower to  investigate such a weighty allegation

Ogundele said that the lawmakers would be failing in the discharging their constitutional role as representatives of the people who must serve as check and balances to executive arm of government, if they do not carry out investigation on the allegation 

 He stressed in the statement that the allegation has finally vindicated PDP claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration has continued to cripple activities of the Local Councils.

 

"APC since taking over power from PDP in the state in 2011 has been making it difficult for the 20 Local Governments in the state to execute capital projects at the grassroots level which is slowing down development in the state, particularly in rural communities, because the monthly statutory allocation meant for them has been hijacked by the Ogun State Government " he stated .

"PDP is now calling on the Ogun State House of Assembly as legislative arm to perform its constitutional role of check and balances on activities of the executive arm by probing the allegation against the governor "

Ogundele urged the lawmakers to look into the open letter where the Ijebu East Local Government Chairman was quoted to have alleged that the governor has not been remitting 10 percent of the revenue collected from the respective Local Councils to the Chairmen as stipulated in the constitution .

The PDP Chairman equally called on the lawmakers to look into the alleged diversion of over N10.8bn fund from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme by the Governor. 

He maintained that the people of the state last enjoyed the impact of activities of the Local Governments between 2003 and 2011 when PDP was in power because the Chairmen were getting their monthly allocation directly from the Federation Account.

PDP also allowed the Councils to generate revenue and use it for the execution of developmental projects as contained in the constitution unlike now where their sources of revenue are being controlled by the State Government under the anti-people law of the Joint State, Local Government Projects.