Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State refuted claims on Tuesday that he had misappropriated the statutory Federal Allocation earmarked for the state’s Local Governments over the past two years.
The governor asserted that his administration had actually supplemented the allocated funds to support the local governments within the state, enabling the council chairmen to fulfill their financial obligations.
Wale Adedayo, Chairman of the Ijebu East Local Government Area in Ogun State, had penned a letter to former Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba, leveling accusations against Governor Abiodun, alleging diversions of statutory allocations and a sum exceeding ten billion naira meant for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).
Adedayo further contended that the constitutional provision directing 10% of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue to the local governments had not been adhered to since Abiodun took office.
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Governor Abiodun, in a statement conveyed by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, clarified that the management of LG funds fell under the constitutionally established Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC).
Abiodun argued that the JAAC, composed of key stakeholders in local government administration, ensures that the local councils receive their due allocations for optimal functionality.
The governor detailed that, just last week, a sum of over N5 billion was distributed among the 20 local government areas in the state during a JAAC meeting. He underscored the regularity of these allocations, emphasizing the significant financial support provided to local governments.
The statement elucidated the constituents of the JAAC, comprising influential figures within local government administration, and its obligation to convene monthly to discuss and facilitate the equitable allocation of funds to the local governments.