I never embezzled funds from Ogun LG, N10.8 billion bailout — Abiodun

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday denied allegations that he misappropriated the statutory federal allocation owed to local governments in the state for the past two years .

The governor said his administration needs to increase funding to local governments across the state to enable council chairs to meet their obligations.

Ogun State Ijebu East Local Government Area Chairman Wale Adedayo in a letter written to former Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba accused the Governor of embezzling statutory allocations and more than ten billion naira from the fund of the Grant Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme.

Adedayo also claimed that the 10 percent of revenue generated internally by the state, which the constitution also stipulated should accrue to local governments, had not been disbursed since the coming to power of Abiodun.

But the governor, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Lekan Adeniran, said the LG fund was managed by the Constitutionally recognized Joint Accounts and Allocation Committee .

Abiodun argued that JAAC members ensure council chairs get the allowances required for optimal performance.

He added that more than 5 billion naira was shared among the 20 local government areas in the state, during the JAAC meeting held a week ago.

He added, “Between May 2023, when the governor was sworn in for a second term, and July 2023, the JAAC split between 20 local governments N4.531b, N4. 444b and N4.497b respectively on the frontline fee and last week N5.2b was split between local governments for the month of August. »

According to the statement, the JAAC comprises key players in local government administration, including the Governor's Chief Economic Adviser, Commissioner for Local Government and Chiefdom Affairs, Accountant General of the state, the permanent secretary for local affairs. Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the 20 local government chairpersons, one representative from each of the four traditional councils in the state, one representative from SUBEB, NULGE, local government pensioners, retired primary school teachers, Local Government Services Commission, Local Government Pensions Commission and NUT. .

The statement further states: “The JAAC is mandated to meet monthly to ensure that allocations to local governments are discussed and properly presented for the allocation of funds.

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