Lagos Council Chair Under Fire For Spending N492 Million In 72 Hours Before Leaving Office

Fresh allegations of large-scale financial mismanagement have rocked the local government system in Lagos State, following revelations that a former Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairperson allegedly spent N492 million just three days before leaving office.

According to a report by Sunday Tribune columnist Lanre Adewole, the ex-chairperson received N512 million as allocation from the Federation Account in her final month in office but reportedly left only N20 million in the council’s coffers for her successor.

Adewole said the case formed part of a detailed report submitted to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, which prompted a recent meeting between the Speaker and all LGA and LCDA chairpersons in the state.

“It was three days to her exit. By the time the new man took over, a whopping N492 million had disappeared,” Adewole wrote. “She spent N492 million in 72 hours, leaving behind a paltry N20 million for her successor. Seven councillors who served with this ‘princess’ got N1 million each, while supervisory councillors also got parting gifts in millions.”

The report also alleged that the LCDA in question received N4.8 billion in total allocations between January and July 2025. In addition, a newly built multi-million-naira hotel in Osogbo, Osun State, and a property in Magodo GRA Phase 2, Lagos, are being linked to the former council boss.

Beyond the single case, the report painted a grim picture of what it called “brazen mismanagement” and “unparalleled looting” across several LGAs and LCDAs in Lagos State. It cited patterns of alleged diversion of funds from the Joint Allocation Committee (JAC) and widespread corruption among council executives and senior administrative staff.

According to the document, some management staff allegedly receive 30 percent of spurious paymentsfrom council accounts, tagged as “RUN,” alongside a 5 percent retirement bonus. It also claimed that local government officials buy their postings from the Local Government Service Commission for between N5 million and N20 million, with monthly premiums running into millions of naira.

The report further alleged that several newly elected chairmen have already squandered their July and August allocations, embarking on foreign trips and personal projects under questionable circumstances.

One metropolitan council chairman was said to have traveled to London, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai under the guise of “lesser Hajj” and royal birthday celebrations, while another LCDA head is accused of diverting over N2 billion for private property developments — a case now reportedly under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

It was also alleged that some former chairpersons still maintain control over their councils’ accounts by authorizing dubious payments through proxies, despite being out of office.

The report warned that the Speaker’s repeated admonitions to council chiefs have been ignored, with public funds being treated as personal wealth, thereby undermining grassroots development and public trust.

It urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to order immediate forensic audits of all LGAs and LCDAs, recover misappropriated funds, and suspend further postings or redeployments within the local government service until a full review is completed.

“The time to act is now,” the report stated. “Lagosians demand accountability, not luxury junkets funded by their sweat. Failure to address this crisis risks normalizing corruption and crippling local governance.”

If verified, the revelations could mark one of the most damning corruption scandals in Lagos local government history, raising urgent questions about transparency, oversight, and accountability at the third tier of government. (First weekly Magazine)