Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
A faction of the Ogun chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), yesterday appealed to the House of Assembly to review and reverse the suspension of the 20 local government and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) chairmen in the state.
The Eighth Assembly, under the leadership of the former speaker, Suraj Adekunbi, had passed a resolution on May 31, suspending all councils and the LCDAs in the state.
The Assembly also directed the affected chairmen to hand over the affairs of the councils to the heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) and appear before the Assembly on Friday, June 7 for investigation into the alleged financial misappropriation.
Addressing journalists, yesterday at a press conference in Abeokuta, ALGON Chairman, Semiu Lawal, said they decided to explore political option instead of legal exercise to resolve the crisis.
Lawal equally pleaded with Governor Dapo Abiodun to look into and redress the issues of their welfare and entitlements in the past 33 months under the immediate past administration of former governor Ibikunle Amosun.
The Ogun ALGON boss disclosed that local government administration under Amosun was “in a state of comatose and “rendered impotent,” adding “no project could be executed, councils could not efficiently run, we kept quiet under this ignorable condition for 31 months out of our 36 months in office.”
He further disclosed that between the time they were inaugurated in October 2016, the 20 local government areas and LCDAs collected N14 million each as local government allocation in a seven staggered instalments.
He added that, out of 32 months in office, only 10 months security allowance of N500,000 was given to each of the chairmen.
“During the reign of Amosun as governor, local governments were treated as mere appendage to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs.
“Under Amosun’s administration, mere circulars overrode provisions of the constitution and extant laws. All Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) of local governments were taken over by ministries and parastatals at the behest of the governor who governed the state with fiat and impunity.
“Members, who were bold to point out these anomalies, were threatened, harassed, assaulted and in the extreme, impeachment orchestrated. A case in reference is the unlawful removal of the Chairman, Ogun Waterside Local Government,” Lawal said.
Appealing to Governor Abiodun to reinstate them, Ogun ALGON said: “We consider a legal option to this imbroglio as non-tactful and an exercise in futility considering the time frame. We do not wish to start what we cannot conclude. We have endured the last 33 months and ready to tread the path of peace for the remaining two months by resolving the imbroglio amicably through roundtable negotiation.”
Lawal commended Governor Abioudun for pledging to revive local government administration in the state from its dying state.