Members of the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Legislative Council in Ogun State on Thursday suspended the chairman of the local government, Wasiu Lawal, over alleged gross misconduct.
However, the chairman described his suspension as “fake” when he was contacted by PUNCH Online.
When announcing the chairman’s suspension in a video that has gone viral, the Leader of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Legislative Council, Mutairu Gbadamosi, disclosed that the councillor representing Ota Ward 2, Musediq Asalu, had filed a motion seeking the suspension of Lawal for three months.
Asalu had accused the chairman of negligence, insubordination, and financial misconduct.
“I, Hon. Asalu Aina Musediq, representing Ota Ward 2, humbly rise to move a motion on the persistent acts of negligence, insubordination, and financial misconduct by the Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Alhaji Lawal Adewale Wasiu, FCA.
“Over the past months, this honourable council has, on no fewer than four occasions, officially requested from the Executive Chairman the Income and Expenditure Account of the local government in accordance with Section 52 of Part V of the Ogun State Local Government Law 2000 (as amended).
“Despite these repeated requests, the chairman has wilfully refused to submit the said 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’s motion partly read.
He added that the chairman consistently “disregarded resolutions, invitations, and correspondence from the councillors, thereby showing gross disrespect to the authority of the legislature and violating the doctrine of separation of powers that guarantees checks and balances within the local government system.”
The actions, he alleged, contravened Section 37(11) of Part V of the Ogun State Local Government Law 2000 (as amended), adding that the chairman has “failed in his constitutional responsibilities” in line with the provisions of the Ogun State Local Government Law 2000 (as amended), specifically as contained in Section 52(f) and Section 52(i) of Part V.
“Therefore, in line with the powers conferred on this Honourable Legislative Council by the Ogun State Local Government Law 2000 (as amended), and having considered the gravity of these offences, I hereby move that the Executive Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Alhaji Lawal Adewale Wasiu, be suspended from office with immediate effect for a period of three months, pending the completion of a thorough investigation into the financial and administrative management of the local government.
“During the period of this suspension, the Executive Chairman shall not have access to any local government account, document, or financial instrument. He shall not issue instructions, sign letters, or represent the local government in any official capacity whatsoever,” Asalu requested.
The leader of the council said Asalu’s motion was seconded by the councillor from Agbara Ward, and it was endorsed by the house as “no member supported a counter-motion” moved by another councillor.
While the chairman was told to return all government properties in his possession, including vehicles, documents, and communication devices, to the Head of Local Government Administration, the Vice Chairman of the Local Government, Abosede Balogun, was told to immediately assume office as the acting chairman and discharge all functions, duties, and responsibilities of the office in line with the law.
Meanwhile, Gbadamosi called on Governor Dapo Abiodun and other authorities of the state to protect the councillors from attacks, saying some thugs loyal to the chairman were at the secretariat in Ota to attack his members.
Contacted, the council chairman denied allegations of misconduct.
Lawal told our correspondent in a phone conversation that the suspension was fake, calling it a rumour.
When he was told by our correspondent that there was a viral video of the leader and other members of the house announcing his suspension, he replied, “It’s just fake. It is a fake. That’s all I can say. It’s fake.”
