A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Otunba Segun Showunmi has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should immediately set machinery in motion to probe Gov Dapo Abiodun over the reported alleged diversion of the local government funds.
This is just as Segun Showunmi also frowned at the viral video showing the local government chairmen in the State prostrating to the governor saying that such actions suggested intimidation and an attempt to debase the all important third tier of the local government as enshrined in the constitution.
The PDP chieftain disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday while reacting to the reported allegations of diversion of local governments fund of over N10bn levelled against Gov Abiodun by Hon Wale Adedayo, the Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government.
Adedayo, according to media reports had written former Governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba saying that since the council chairmen got on board in 2021, it has been zero federal allocation to each local government.
The Council Boss had asked Osoba, to urgently wade in, and convince Abiodun to allow the statutory Federal Allocation to Local Governments in Ogun State to get to each LGA, in line with the 1999 constitution as the non-availability of fund had hampered them from doing anything meaningful to develop the local governments.
Gov Abiodun has however denied tampering with the LG funds saying that such are handled by the constitutionally recognised Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) and it always ensured that the third tier of government received its required allocations for optimal performance adding that the latest meeting by the JAAC held last week was widely reported in the media.
The Chairmen led by their leader, Hon Babatunde Emilola-Gazal had therefore
come on Tuesday to beg the governor over
the report on the alleged diversion of funds credited to one of them, Wale Adedayo asking for his forgiveness.
Showunmi has however carpeted Gov Abiodun especially for making public the video of the visit of the chairmen, especially where they were seen begging and prostrating for the governor saying that such action was meant to only debase the local government administration in the country.
The PDP chieftain had asked "who debased the government by recording such video, and who irresponsibly released such? Who approved without vetting to notice that the irritation of the governor was on full display and has far-reaching image challenge not just for the governor but for all of us.
"Mr. President, please demand a full investigation. You must use your office to encourage appropriate conduct, recall that I reported this same Governor Dapo Abiodun to you when his thugs attacked me. If a governor can treat local government chairmen in such a manner, it follows that as president you should subject him to frog jump, so they get the argument on independence''.
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