Lagos Council Chair Cleared of Misappropriating N1.9bn
The allegation of misappropriating N1.9 billion, which was the 2023 budget of Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, levelled against the council chairman, Hon. John Campos Ogundare, has been dismissed.
A group under the name Concerned Residents of Eti-Osa East LCDA had petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly and the State Audit Service Commission, accusing the Council Chairman of non-compliance with the 2023 appropriation budget and using the said sum for purposes not covered in the budget.
Source: Twitter
Petition against John Campos Ogundare
While submitting the petition entitled: “Call for Suspension of the chairman of Eti-Osa East LCDA over allegations of misappropriation of N1.9 billion from the 2023 budget," in April 2024 to the State Assembly complex, the group's coordinator, Comrade Segun Williams, in his address told newsmen:
“Among the allegations were failure to pay the running costs of various departments of the council based on the 2023 budget, neglecting balance payments to past political office holders against government advice, unauthorised project execution and contract awards without legislative approval, non-adherence to the 2023 budget for school and primary Health Care construction and renovation and failure to comply with legislative requests for income and expenditure records amongst others."
On the heels of the petition submission and protest, All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the area took to the Assembly Complex in a pro-Ogundare protest, where they pushed back at the misappropriation of funds allegation against the council chairman.
Ogundare freed of corruption alleation
But in a statement by Rotimi Sulaiman, a chieftain of the APC, sent to Legit.ng on Friday, April 2, it has now emerged that the investigation launched into the allegations by the State Assembly didn't find the Eti-Osa East LCDA Chairman guilty as charged. The source was quoted:
"The Assembly has long cleared the Chairman of the allegations after its committee's investigation found no incriminating evidence against him.
"The State Audit Service Commission, instigated by the petition, subjected the 2023 budget performance of the council to a thorough audit, an exercise that was done twice in three months, and on both occasions, the allegations proved unfounded."
Source: Twitter
How LSHA freed council chair
The report said the investigations carried out by the House of Assembly and Audit Service Commission revealed that the Eti-Osa East LCDA's Revenue for the Year 2023, with federal, state allocation and internally generated revenues combined, amounted to N1.4 billion. Citing the source:
"The discovery gave the lie to the allegations as it shows clearly that the accusation was baseless and misleading because it is impossible to appropriate an amount that was never received"
It was further gathered that the fact of the matter, rather than the alleged fiction peddled by the petitioners, propelled the Council's legislative arm to pass to the council chairman their resolution at a plenary on the matter. He said:
"In fact, the councillors had set the records straight on the part they played in the allegations via a communication to the Executive Chairman in which they said they held a plenary where they declared that at no time did they accuse Ogundare of misappropriating N1.9 billion.
"They said the only thing they did then was to seek explanation on the year 2023 budget from the Chairman, and found it curious that their position was deliberately misrepresented in order to tar the council leadership with the corruption brush."
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Source: Legit.ng
