N50bn Illegally Paid To Sacked APC LG Chairs – Osun Assembly

The raging controversy over withheld local government allocations in Osun State took another dimension yesterday as the State House of Assembly alleged illegal payment of N50bn to the controversial chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC).

The Chief Press Secretary to the speaker of the assembly, Olamide Tiamiyu, said the money was paid through United Bank for Africa (UBA) with help of the Minister of Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.

Tiamiyu said N25 m illion was paid to each of the 30 chairmen and that N12 million was paid to each of their vice chairmen, while each of the 332 councillors in the state received N10 million.

He also alleged that N130 million was paid to each of the selected traditional rulers in Osun State. He added that N13 billion legal fees were paid to lawyers representing the chairmen and councillors.

he said that not one naira had been paid in the last 12 months as salaries of local workers, primary school teachers, nurses and other healthcare workers by the APC chairmen.

He said, “Even more disturbing are reports before this House that plans are allegedly underway to disburse another Fifty Billion Naira (N50bn) of LG funds for political purposes, disguised as project funds, while governance at the grassroots continues to suffer.”

Reacting to the allegation, the Director of Media and Information for the Osun State chapter of the APC, Mogaji Kola Olabisi, alleged that the Adeleke-led government made frantic efforts to access the accumulated funds through the back door but failed.

He said, “If the information at our disposal is anything to go by, the state government has enlisted the services of the civil society groups to lay siege to the local government council areas when it could not have its way through litigation in the various courts in the country.”

“We are not against any lawful protest, as it is one of the ingredients of a democratic government. But when such a protest is commercialised, it becomes a suspected political tool devised to get at the political opposition.”

Oyetola has no role in LG finances – Aide

Oyetola, speaking through his media aide,  Bolaji Akinola, described the assembly’s claims as fabricated and malicious.

Akinola said the attempt to link Oyetola to the administration or disbursement of local government funds “was reckless propaganda designed to distract the public from the state government’s own failures and ongoing legal battles.”

He stressed that the minister has no constitutional or statutory role in local government finance and has neither issued directives to banks nor interfered in the running of local councils.

UBA mum

Meanwhile, the United Bank for Africa (UBA)  declined to comment on the issue.  Ramon Nasir, Head, Media and External Relations for UBA, in a chat with our correspondent yesterday, said: “The case is still in court, and we cannot comment on it because it is subjudice.” (Daily trust)