BREAKING: Ogun LG Funds Not Diverted By Governor Says JAAC

BREAKING: Ogun LG Funds Not Diverted By Governor Says JAAC

Save Our Nation SON

September 2, 2023

The Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) in Ogun State has defended Governor Dapo Abiodun over the allegation of diversion of local government funds in the state.

The chairman of Ijebu East Kocal Government, Wale Adedayo, made the allegation against the governor on Sunday.

But the governor denied the allegation through a statement by his spokesperson, Lekan Adeniran, on Wednesday.

On the same day, the chairpersons of all the other local governments in the state met the governor at Government House Abeokuta to dissociate themselves from Mr Adedayo’s claims.

Since then, Mr Adedayo has been suspended by the legislative council of his local government for alleged financial maladministration and was taken into custody on Friday by the State Security Service (SSS).

JAAC is the body in the state that manages the account into which allocations to local governments from the Federation Account are paid.

At a meeting with the state House of Assembly on Friday, members of the committee said every fund approved by the committee was usually paid into the accounts of the various local government councils.

The members of the committee, led by the Accountant-General of the state, Tunde Aregbesola, had been summoned by the state House of Assembly over the allegation of funds diversion.

The other JAAC members include the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Rotimi Akinlesi; the State Chairman of Association of Local Government Chairmen, who is also the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Tunde Gazal; the Chairman of Association of Local Government Pensioners, Benedict Ademoye; and representatives of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), among others.

They explained that the process of fund administration by JAAC always takes place monthly at a meeting which includes the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and his permanent secretary.

They said other regular attendees of JAAC meetings are the 20 local government chairmen, Commissioner for Finance, State Accountant General, President and Secretary of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), representatives of traditional councils in the State, Local Government Service Commission, Bureau of Local Government Pension and representatives of Local Government Pensioners, amongst others.

The members said it was at the meeting that all first line charges, including primary school teachers’ salaries, local government pension, traditional council funds, leave bonuses and check-off dues of labour unions are aggregated among the local government chairmen and payments made.

They confirmed instances when the state government had to augment shortfalls in the allocations to help the local governments take care of their first line charges.

The Speaker of the House, Olakunle Oluomo, in his response after their presentations, clarified that the Evidence Act did not allow lawmakers to respond to speculations, pointing out that the assembly was yet to receive formal petition from any quarters in respect of Mr Adedayo’s allegations.

He assured that when such petition is received, the assembly would act on it immediately.