Some residents of the Ijebu Ode local government area in Ogun state have given council president Babatunde Emilola-Gazal 48 hours to explain how he has spent federal appropriations to the council since he took office two years ago.
This development comes against the backdrop of a controversy in the state over an accusation by Ijebu East LGA President Wale Adedayo that Governor Dapo Abiodun was diverting allocations.
Following last week’s indictment, state council chairmen, under the auspices of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), headed by Mr. Emiola-Gazal, rushed to Government House in Abeokuta to acquit Governor Abiodun and disassociate himself from Mr. Adedayo’s accusation.
Adedayo has since been suspended by his councilors at the Ijebu East LGA for alleged “financial mismanagement” and briefly detained by the State Security Service (SSS).
However, some Ijebu Ode LGA residents appeared to have turned against Emiola-Gazal over his claim that the governor does not interfere in the management of the council’s finances.
In posters that appeared in strategic places in Ijebu Ode on Thursday afternoon, anonymous residents demanded that he account for the council’s funds.
In the note, the residents wrote: “You are hereby given 48 hours to inform the Ijebus how you spend the allowances. Failure to do so will lead to protests within the local government. By concerned citizens.
Speaking at the billboards, a resident, Adeola Balogun, told Newslodge that she agreed the council head should explain how he was spending council money.
“He shouldn’t even have waited for us to ask him before explaining with concrete evidence. For him to have led the protest against what the president of Ijebu East said, it means that he has been receiving the allowances from him (from the council) and we are interested to know how he spent the money”.
But, speaking to our correspondent, Emilola-Gazal said that the posters were sponsored by his political opponents.
An appeal from a resident of the Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State to the council president, Babatunde Emilola-Gazal.
“You know what happened regarding a letter written by Wale Adedayo. He raised issues and also made requests and we came to an amicable understanding that issues should be resolved internally from now on.
“We all agreed that internal mechanisms must be explored to solve all problems because what will we gain if we continue to grovel before the media? Even I have been slandered, they are slandering me,” she said.
He said he was not bothered by the demand for accountability, but questioned the meaning of the ultimatum.
Giving an account is the easiest for me but no one should give me an ultimatum. When the time comes we’ll go out and explain things.
“But let me tell you one thing: this has been orchestrated by some people within local government. Yeah! Some of them. I can tell you that we have an authoritative idea of who they are. They are trying to disturb the peace of society and the corresponding authorities will take care of it”.
A council official had said that Emiola-Gazal had not been in his office since the controversy began.
When asked if this was true, the head of the council said:
“Yes, I have stayed away from the office, we will leave at the right time and we will be held accountable.”
Adedayo had alleged that Governor Abiodun was mismanaging local government funds in the state.
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The head of the Ijebu East council made the accusation in a letter to a former state governor and leader of the ruling party. Congress of all progressives (APC), Olusegun Osoba.
Shortly after the content of the letter was reported by the media, Emilola-Gazal led his fellow presidents to meet with the governor and deny Adedayo’s claims.