31st August, 2023
Scores of armed policemen on Thursday stormed the headquarters of Ijebu East Local Government,in Ogun state, amid the altercation between its chairman, Wale Adedayo and Governor Dapo Abiodun over the hijack of federally allocated revenue to local councils in the state.
Adedayo, a journalist was not in the office when the policemen arrived. But he alerted the world about their presence and their mission.
“Invading peaceful Ogbere community with mobile policemen in order to impeach Wale Adedayo is desperation”, he wrote in a post on Facebook on Thursday.
“As I told the SSG yesterday, we took an oath with our fathers that that we’ll make this land better than we met it. You can kill the body, but not the spirit of Wale Adedayo”, he added.
Adedayo’s daring in drawing attention to the denial of statutory funds to the 20 local councils in the state, since 2021 out Governor Dapo Abiodun on the defensive, as he claimed that the state has been augmenting the finances of the councils, rather than hijacking it, as Adedayo claimed.
In a letter addressed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader and ex-governor of the state, Aremo Segun Osoba on Monday, Adedayo accused Abiodun of habitually withholding federal allocations as well as ecological funds meant for the 20 LGAs.
Adedayo also urged the elder statesman to intervene and help end the alleged stifling of the Councils since 2021.
He also sent a petition to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), demanding a probe of the governor over the alleged diversion of local government funds.
But in a twist on Tuesday night, Adedayo and 19 other council chairmen went to beg Governor Dapo Abiodun by prostrating the traditional way.
Led by the ALGON chairman in the state, Babatunde Emilola-Gazal, the council chairmen urged Abiodun to forgive Adedayo.
“Your Excellency, we have come here to beg you as a father that you are, as a father of all in the state, we want you to forgive us.
“Your Excellency, if you don’t forgive us, who do we run to? So, on behalf of all of us, I am tendering this apology, and in particular, on behalf of Wale Adedayo,” Emilola-Gazal said.