The Ogun State House of Assembly, on Thursday, lifted the suspension placed on the Chairmen of the 20 Local Government Councils and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state instituted by the 8th legislature.
The passage of the resolution came shortly after Mr Akeem Balogun (APC- Ogun Waterside) presented his Committee’s report during plenary in Abeokuta and moved the motion for its adoption.
The motion for adoption was seconded by Bolanle Ajayi (APM -Yewa South) and supported by the Whole House through a voice vote.
The Assembly charged the reinstated chairmen to ensure proper accountability of all financial records in their respective councils.
The Assembly’s directive was consequent upon the passage of a resolution titled “Report of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in respect of the suspended political office holders in all the LGs and LCDAs across the State’’.
The report states: “Following the receipt of various petitions on allegations of financial misappropriation and non -performance levelled against the Chairmen of the 57 LGs and LCDAs in the state.
“Subsequently, after the Assembly’s various investigations, the House noted that all the Local Government and LCDAs were short-changed in terms of allocation from the Federation Account by the immediate past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun.
“It was detected that each of the local government councils and LCDAs only obtained the sum of N12 million each, paid in six months instalments for the entire period of 30 months under review. ’’
According to the report, majority of the chairmen were found guilty of complacency and docility in the face of constitutional breach of their functions and finances by the immediate past administration of the state.
“Majority of the chairmen were found guilty of not keeping proper records of activities of their councils and non-challant attitude and violation of procedural rules and financial guidelines by council officials,’’ the report noted.
Consequently, the assembly recommended that those chairmen found culpable be referred to the appropriate agencies of government for further investigation.
The assembly directed the chairmen to put their respective councils in order to ensure transparency and accountability in the administration of the third tier of government.
The assembly’s 8th legislature had on May 31 passed a resolution suspending all political office holders in all the LGs and LCDAs in the state.
