Members of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) in Ogun State have refuted allegations of local government fund diversion against Governor Dapo Abiodun. They maintain that every fund approved during the committee’s monthly meetings has consistently gone through the respective Local Government Council Accounts.
This response comes in the wake of accusations made by the suspended Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Wale Adedayo, who claimed that local government areas in the state had not received any allocation from the federal government since 2021, with approximately N10.8 billion missing from the council areas in the state.
Adedayo, who was suspended by seven councillors in his council area over allegations of financial mismanagement, had written a letter to Chief Olusegun Osoba, the national leader of the party and former governor, urging him to persuade the governor to release funds meant for council areas. He also petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the allegations against the state government regarding local government allocations.
Members of JAAC, including the Accountant General, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the State Chairman of the Association of Local Government Chairmen, and others, appeared before the State House of Assembly to clarify the situation. They explained that the fund administration process for JAAC took place monthly during meetings attended by various stakeholders, and it was at these meetings that all financial obligations, such as teachers’ salaries, pension payments, traditional council expenses, leave bonuses, and labor union dues, were addressed and disbursed.
They also noted that in some cases, the State Government had to provide additional funds to cover any shortfalls to ensure that all Local Government Councils could meet their financial obligations.
In response, the Speaker of the Assembly emphasized that the Evidence Act does not allow for responses to speculations and clarified that the Assembly had not yet received any formal petition regarding the allegations. However, he assured that the Assembly would take appropriate action once a formal petition is received, and he encouraged the JAAC team to provide all relevant documents for further legislative review.
It’s worth noting that journalists were denied access to the Assembly premises during this meeting, with security personnel citing orders from higher authorities for the restriction.