UPDATE: Ogun ALGON debunks statement

Barely six hours after a statement attributed to The Association of Local Government of Nigeria Ogun state chapter, made the rounds across social Media on Sunday, the The Association of Local Government of Nigeria Ogun state chapter has refuting, denying and disavowing the now widely circulated statement.

This was contained in a telephone conversation by our staff made with Hon. Semiu Bola Lawal, Chairman , Odeda Local Government.
The Chairman said that the “the views expressed in the alleged statement are not from Ogun ALGON but that of the writer.

Ogun ALGON’s full credited statement on the controversy and other political matters is reproduced below:

”ALGON OGUN STATE REACT TO THE PURPORTED RUMOR OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SUSPENDING THE LG / LCDA CHAIRMEN, DIRECT ALL CHAIRMEN AND OTHER POLITICAL FUNCTIONARIES TO IGNORE THE RUMOR AND CONTINUE WITH THEIR NORMAL DUTIES

Rising from its meeting today 1st June 2019, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria ALGON Ogun State Branch has reacted to the purported rumor going round the social media that the Ogun State House of Assembly has suspended all the chairmen and other political functionaries in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state in order to allow for investigation on allegations levelled against them on gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds. the same rumor has it that the House later directed the suspended officials to hand over powers to the Head of Local Government Administration in their respective Local Government and Local Council Development Areas

We would like to make it crystal clear that the purported rumored suspension of the LG and LCDA political functionaries by the Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is a mere rumor and if it’s found to be true cannot stand the test of time as it’s illegal, unconstitutional and was done in bad faith with no regards for the wish of the people that elected 57 LG /LCDA Chairmen, 57 Vice Chairmen and over 300 Councillors not to mention the 57 appointed Secretary to the LGs / LCDAs

We would like all political functionaries and general public to note and be guided as follows:

1. That Ogun State made a great error in suspending the LG / LCDA Chairmen and invites the same as well as the Leader of the House for investigation, ALGON would have expected the investigation before suspension.

2. That Pursuant to Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, 2011 as amended, the Local Government Council is established as the third tier of government. The section has not given State House of Assembly nor the Governor the power to suspend or removed a democratically elected Local Government Chairman, therefore if the rumor if found to be confirmed otherwise, then the whole excise would have no effect whatsoever

3. There were precedence of case to justify our stand, we refer to case of Ekiti State Governor Vs Prince Sanni Olubunmi (2017) 3 NWLR (Part1551), where the state Governor, who purportedly relied on some sections of Ekiti State Local Government Administration (Amendment) Law, 2001 removed the democratically elected local government chairmen and officials in a radio announcement, the Supreme Court held that the provisions of the state law relied upon was in violation of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution and cannot stand by virtue of Section 1(3); meaning that the suspension and eventual removal was illegal and unconstitutional.

4. We are very disturbed to hear a purported rumor that Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi would act unconstitutional to such extend knowing fully well that the same House of Assembly in the last 8 years led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi has never contributed any meaningful development in term of bill that will enhance the LG / LCDA in the state rather the Ogun State House of Assembly members led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi has only been known to be a mere rubber stamp to the Senator Ibikunle Amosun Administration. They know quite well that the Local Government and LCDA in Ogun State were not funded by the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun in which he was speaker for close to 8 years, instead of Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi to speak the truth to his boss the Governor, he would rather settle for kick back, this explain his sudden wealth he is currently enjoying to the detriment of the development of the Local Government and LCDAs

5. That Ogun state house of assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi know for a fact that the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun failed to fund but starved the LG and LCDA to its present poorly position and the LG and LCDA has made several appeal to the House of Assembly to intervene and nothing was done

6. That the Ogun state House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Ruraj Adekunbi connived with the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to take away all revenue belonging to the LG and LCDA which create inability to generate revenue for the needed development for LG and LCDA, the statutory revenue includes:

i. Signage
ii. Park and Garages
iii. Tenement rates
iv. Market ticketing
v. Land use charges
vi. Mask and many others

7. Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi are well aware of the filling fact:

i. That Ogun State LG and LCDA has never received any allocation from the or funding from the state Government in the last 32 months of the LG / LCDA inception

ii. That the only payment received by each LG and LCDA were the project grant of N2,000,000 per month which was paid only for 7 months in the entire 32 months spent so far

iii. That Statutory Chairmen Official Vehicles were not given whereas all political office holders and appointees across the State have official vehicles. This includes but not limited to the Commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, Magistrates and Judges

iv. Statutory Furniture Allowance unpaid,
we are aware that the Commissioners, Special Advisers and Assembly Members have all been paid their statutory furniture allowance. To our surprise, only the LG/LCDA Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, Councillors and Secretaries to the Local Government & Local Council Development Areas were unpaid in the entire State.

v. That Ogun State LG and LCDA Chairmen were paid a pantry of N229,000 monthly while the House of Assembly members goes home with millions of Naira monthly, each members of the house also receives N2,000,000 as monthly PADEM while the speaker Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi received N10,000 monthly

8. That the House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi are well aware of this fact and chose to connived with the State Government to impoverish the Local Government and denied the grassroots and the rural communities their right to the dividend of democracy

9. We are therefore very suspicious of the actions of the 8th Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi for deciding to suspend the democratically elected LG and LCDA Chairmen and inviting the same purported suspended Chairmen and the leader of the house for investigation, we believed that the house of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi doing so for their selfish and personal interest

10. We are more concerned that 8th House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi were instrumental to many deficiencies in the last Government and we hope that their intention was not to begin the same with the newly sworn government

11. ALGON ogun State hereby call on our amiable Governor, Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun to be weary of character like Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi and others who may not mean well for the state by ignoring the signage of the purported bill / resolution allegedly seeking to suspend democratically elected political office holders in the LG and LCDA the 3rd tier of the Government PROTECTED by the Nigerian constitution

12. We call on all well meaning Nigeria and every good indigenes of Ogun State to rise up for Defence of this undemocratic and illegal act being perpetuated by the 8th State Assembly led by Rt Hon Adekunbi

13. ALGON Ogun state would like to assure our Governor His Excellency Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun of our readiness to work with him wholeheartedly for the success of his administration for the development of our dear state till the end of our term in October 2019

14. In conclusion therefore, ALGON Ogun State hereby call on all Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Councillors and SLGs of LG and LCDA to proceed to their offices and continue with their jobs, be calm, be law abiding. The house of Assembly luck constitutional power to suspend or remove democratically elected Local Government Chairmen

15. Thank you all.

e – Signed
ALGON Ogun State”