Alleged LG Funds Diversion: Suspended Ogun council boss ‘impeached’

The suspended chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, has been impeached.

Mr Adedayo was impeached following a motion supported by five out of the 11 councilors of the council.

They announced the impeachment on Thursday shortly after Mr Adedayo appeared before them at the LG secretariat in Ogbere.

Mr Adedayo had accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting statutory federal allocations of the 20 LGs in the state.

He said this in a letter he wrote last month to a former governor of the state and a leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Olusegun Osoba.

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He later repeated the allegation in a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Within days of the allegation, Mr Adedayo was suspended by his councillors for alleged financial maladministration.

He was also detained for three days by the State Security services (SSS) in Abeokuta, capital of the state.

Impeachment

On Thursday, the journalist-turned-politician appeared before the councillors investigating the allegation of mismanagement against him.

He left after two hours with the councillors.

However, in a statement signed by Fasheyi Akindele, its leader, the legislative council said Mr Adedayo was impeached following a motion supported by five councillors.

Mr Akindele said four coucillors voted against the motion, one abstained while one did notattend the session.

According to the statement, Mr Adedayo owned up to the allegations against him before the legislative council.

“The councillors of ijebu East Local Government of Ogun State, earlier today, impeached the suspended Chairman of the local government, Hon. Wale Adedayo, over allegations of financial misappropriation and diversion of council funds, among other allegations made against him.

READ ALSO: LG chairman suspended days after accusing Ogun governor of diversion of council funds

“After series of invitations by the House, which were ignored in the past, Adedayo eventually appeared before the legislative council today as the councillors continued their probe of the chairman.

“The suspended Chairman owned up before the full house of 11 councilors that he diverted federal allocations sent to the council by the State Government and used them for purposes other than what the state government approved.

“Adedayo also agreed that he spent the council funds till August 2023, even when the budget was yet to be approved, whereas the laws only allows him to spend till March 2023.

“Adedayo also opened up that he used N5.2 million to produce 20 pieces of chairs and tables instead of the 290 chairs that the money was meant for as approved by the state government.

“On the issue of illegal levies and strikers to commercial transport operators in the Local government, Adedayo said he thought the House had passed the Bill to that effect, but the Leader of House reminded him that a bill, if passed by the the House, would have been jointly signed by the Leader of the House and the Council Chairman.

“That the chairman has run foul of the laws of the land, specifically the Ogun State Local Government Laws 2006 and committed serious impeachable offences was therefore established.
After about three hours deliberation, the impeachment of the chairman was put to votes. Five councilors voted for his impeachment, four voted against, with one abstention.

“Therefore, the Leader of the House pronounced Mr. Wale Adedayo impeached as the Chairman of Ijebu East LG.”

Adedayo reacts

However, a report by Daily Trust said Mr Adedayo denied the allegations over which he was impeached.

“I did not own up to anything. They were going to set up a committee, which was expected to look at the files in the office. But after I left things changed,” the newspaper quoted him.

He also spoke with our correspondent over the phone.

He said: “I told them this morning they were acting a script written by those in Abeokuta. All the documents about the allegations against me are in the office. But I know Mr. Governor is offended that we opened up to the public about how the federal allocation belonging to Ijebu East Local Government was being spent.

“I have done my duty as an Afenifere by letting our Leader know why we have not been able to do much since we got into office. The rest is for the court to decide.”