Badagry Youths Decry Chairman, Councillors' Feud

As the crisis between the council chairman of Badagry West Local Council Development Area, Lagos State and the five lawmakers at the council over alleged misappropriation of funds by the chairman, Honourable Joseph Hontoyon Bamgbose deepens, Badagry youths under the auspices of Hengo Badagry Youth Association has appealed to the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to intervene.

In a passionate appeal to Tinubu and Governor Babatunde Fashola, the president of the association, Comrade Abel Mautin Ogunbiyi said the creation of Badagry West LCDA by the former governor had brought rapid development to the ancient town and its environs, adding that the youths could not afford to fold their arms and see the expected development hindered due to political crisis.

Ogunbiyi said if the feud between the councillors and the council chairman was not immediately resolved it might undermine development in the area.

He said the youths under his leadership had attempted to make peace between the legislators and the chairman but some people in the community had misinterpreted their concern for taking sides with the lawmakers while others accused them of pitching tent with the chairman.

He said: “as a non political, non government and non religious association, our main objective is to make peace and champion the cause of development within the Ogun speaking areas of Lagos State, particularly in the ancient town of Badagry and its environs.”

He said the security of life and property has also been their watchword “since we cannot fold our arms and allow our locality to be made a political battle field.”

Ogunbiyi remarked that all efforts to resolve the matter have failed, adding that “as advocate of peace this is why we are appealing to the Asiwaju of Lagos and other stalwarts of the Action Congress of Nigeria to immediately step in for amicable resolution.”

The youth leader said if the problem persisted it would definitely affect the development and the youths might not forgive them.

He therefore called on the chairman and the lawmakers to sheathe their swords for peace to reign in the local government.

The five councilors had accused the council chairman of misappropriation of public funds and also declined to honour their invitation when the chairman was summoned to the House by the legislators to give account of how he spent some money on projects allegedly not executed.