Governor summons  councillors over suspension of LG Chairman 

Governor summons  councillors over suspension of LG Chairman

The Ogun State Government has summoned the embattled Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Alhaji Wasiu Adewale, and the councillors who suspended him, to an emergency meeting on Friday.

The invitation followed the reported suspension of the chairman by the legislative council for three months over alleged financial misappropriation, insubordination, and disregard for constituted authority.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Rotimiolu Akinlesi, confirmed the development in an interview with PUNCH Online on Thursday.

He said, “The suspension story of the chairman is real, it is true, but we don’t yet know what happened. The Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has, however, called for a meeting tomorrow (Friday) to look into the whole issue and hear from both sides.”

During Thursday’s plenary, Musediq Asalu, representing Ota Ward 2, moved a motion citing persistent acts of negligence, insubordination, and financial misconduct by the local government chairman.

Asalu alleged that, over the past few months, the council had on at least four occasions officially requested from the chairman a detailed account of income and expenditure of the local government in line with Section 52 of Part V of the Ogun State Local Government Law 2000 (as amended).

He said the chairman “willfully refused to submit the financial documents for legislative scrutiny, offering either excuses or no response each time it was requested.”

“This deliberate refusal to render an account of the local government’s financial operations is not only a breach of the law; it also raises serious suspicion of financial impropriety, administrative impunity, and abuse of office,” Asalu said.

He added that Adewale had consistently disregarded resolutions, invitations, and correspondence from the council, showing “gross disrespect to the authority of the legislature and violating the doctrine of separation of powers that ensures checks and balances within the local government system.”

Following his motion, the council resolved to suspend the chairman for three months, pending the completion of an investigation into the financial and administrative management of the local government.

According to the resolution, Adewale is to hand over all government properties in his possession to the Head of Local Government Administration and is barred from accessing council accounts or representing the local government in any official capacity during the suspension.

The council also directed the Vice Chairman, Abosede Balogun, to assume office as acting chairman and discharge all responsibilities in accordance with the law.

However, on Thursday, the chairman described his suspension as “fake” when PUNCH Online contacted him.

Efforts by PUNCH Online to reach the suspended chairman on Friday for comments were unsuccessful, as calls to his mobile line did not connect.