Ogun LG Allocations: Gov Abiodun Replies Critics

Abeokuta: By, Sina ODUNTAN Published, September 2, 2021

Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR, Governor of Ogun State

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has berated the opposition parties to be circumspect when criticizing his government.

Speaking on behalf of the governor, Hon Afolabi Afuape, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs said the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun was not averse to criticism but the critics should do so with facts and figures, and avoid giving wrong signals to the people of the State.

The Commissioner said the State government has neither withheld nor diverted the monthly statutory allocations belonging to the 20 Local Government authorities since the inception of the Abiodun’s administration; instead it has  been faithful to augment and support the 20 council areas to meet their constitutional responsibilities to their peoples.

"This administration has never been indebted to the local government workers since inception and it had promised to turn the fortune of councils around by making them more responsive to the people at the grassroots" the Commissioner reaffirmed.

   Second right: Hon. Afolabi Afuape     Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and others

Afuape said in 21 months the Ogun State Government received N63,938,887,374.47 billion as federal allocations on behalf of the councils, saying it’s untrue to say there’s nothing to show for it.

Given the true picture of statutory allocations for the 20 council authorities at the sideline of Joint Account Allocation Committee August 2021 meet at Oba Complex, Oke Mosan Abeokuta, Ogun State, Hon. Afolabi Afuape discredited the figures being peddled by the opposition.

He said while the councils received  N63,713,194,358.26 from the Federation Account, the State government made additional provision of the sum of N9,904,945,970.80 to argument the councils' capital and recurrent expenditures.

According to him, a total of N73,618,140,323.02  has been paid to all  20 local government councils asries statutory payment within 21 months.

The commissioner further posited that as a result of paucity of fund to meet their first line charges, primary school teachers' salaries, local government staff salaries and allowances, pensions and adminstrative costs, including statutory allocations for the four Traditional Councils in the State as well as statutory payment of local government service commission and check-off dues from May 2019 –July 2021, the State government has given them whopping N10 billion to augment the local government accounts.

Given example of the faithfulness of Abiodun administration, Afuape said  August 2021 statutory allocation received from the Federation by 20 council authorities stood at N3,433,170,398.83 and the first line charges deduction has a total of N4,055,100,639.78, showing a deficit of N621,930,240.90, while the deficit breakdown stood at N626,218,967.27 and the surplus of Allocation received over net salary stood at N4,288,726.32.

Afuape said the gross deficit of N621,930,240.90 in the monthly financial responsibilities of the 20 council authorities has been picked by the State government, adding that on two occasions, the State government gave the immediate passed Transition Chairmen grants to implement various need-based projects across the 20 local government areas and over 140 projects within 18 months were initiated and completed while in office.

The Commissioner noted that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led Administration would be the first in history to implement 236 projects across the 236 wards of Ogun State by the end of its tenure in office.