Wale Adedayo, the chairman of Ijebu East, has responded to the invitation from the Department of State Services (DSS) regarding his allegations of zero allocation to local governments since 2019 by the Ogun State governor.

Amidst a storm of controversy, Adedayo entered the DSS office at precisely 11:43am today, but information available to Freelanews as at the time of filing this report, he is yet to be released.

Also read: Dapo Abiodun: Ogun LG chairman, Wale Adedayo, reacts over moves to impeach him

According to Adedayo’s Personal Assistant, Adewale Adebowale, no one has been allowed access to the chairman since this morning. The PA himself was denied entry beyond the DSS gate and is currently stationed there, awaiting any developments.

“I’m still at the DSS office as I’m talking to you. I’m neither allowed access to him or beyond the gate here,” Adebowale told our correspondent.

Recall that Adedayo had in an open letter to a former governor in Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, sought the elder statesman intervention in appealing to Prince Abiodun to account for the allocations due to the third tier of government ever since the inception of his government in 2019.

Meanwhile, the members of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC), in Ogun State have told the state House of Assembly that every fund approved by the committee consisting of stakeholders passed through the accounts of the various local government councils.

They stated that all first-line charges including primary school teachers’ salaries, LG pensions, traditional council, leave bonuses and check-off dues of labour unions are usually aggregated among the LG chairmen and payment made at a monthly fund administration and allocation meetings.

Adedayo had alleged in his letter that Abiodun consistently denied them the allocations meant for them.

The executive chairman of Ijebu East Local Government accused the governor of neglecting the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) Chairmen who came on board in 2021, stating that they have not received any federal allocations since their tenure began. Additionally, he alleged that the constitutionally mandated 10% share of the state Internally Generated Revenues meant for the LGAs has not been provided.

Furthermore, Adedayo claimed that the governor never allocated any funds from the President Muhammad Buhari intervention to states and local governments, despite the 20 LGAs being entitled to approximately 10 billion naira. He also mentioned that funds intended for Ecology management, allocated in the name of the LGAs, did not reach them.

Another accusation leveled against the governor is the takeover of revenue sources belonging to the LGAs, including Motor Parks and Primary schools, by the state government under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun. This action is alleged to be a continuation of what Senator Ibikunle Amosun had initiated.

As the hours tick by, many are growing increasingly anxious about Adedayo’s situation. The DSS has yet to provide any official statement regarding this matter.

As the story unfolds, we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to our readers.

UPDATE

The suspended chairman of Ijebu East local government, Wale Adedayo, has been detained by the DSS. According to his PA, the DSS officials in Ogun State had asked everyone waiting for the chairman to go home without releasing him.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.