All the 20 local government council chairmen in Ogun State, on Tuesday night, apologised to the State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, over the allegations of witholding federal allocations as well as ecological fund levelled against him by one of them, Hon. Wale Adedayo of Ijebu East local government area of the State.
The Council chairmen, who besieged the Governor’s office to ask for his forgiveness on behalf of Hon. Adedayo, regretted their action and prostrated and begged the governor for forgiveness.
Led by the ALGON chairman in the state, Hon. Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, the chairmen were seen in a short video clip, which has gone viral, apologising to Governor Abiodun, whom they described as their father and demanded that he should pardon their mistakes.
“Your Excellency, we have come here to beg you as a father that you are, as a father of all in the state, we want you to forgive us.
“Your Excellency, if you don’t forgive us, who do we run to? So, on behalf of all of us, I am tendering this apology, and in particular, on behalf of Wale Adedayo,” Emilola-Gazal said, and subsequently prostrated alongside others before the governor.
Responding, Governor Abiodun declared that he had always carried out his responsibilities as the governor with “every sincerity of purpose”.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the accuser, Adedayo, had through a letter written to the former governor of the state, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, accused Abiodun of withholding the local government’ allocations.
Also, in a petition which he forwarded to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Adedayo had demanded for a probe of the governor over alleged diversion of local government funds.
But, the governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, on Tuesday, said he had never tampered with local government funds.
He wondered how adding to the funds allocated to the local government councils to enable them to meet their obligations amounted to hijacking their funds.
Abiodun said that funds meant for local governments in the state are being handled by the constitutionally recognised Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC).
The governor said that JAAC members ensure that the third tier of government gets the required allocations for optimal performance.
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