Alleged fund diversion: I’m ready to defend myself- Ogun governor

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has vowed to defend himself against the allegations of diversion of local government funds levelled against him by the former chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Hon. Wale Adedayo.

Abiodun stated this during a meeting with leaders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ijebu East Local Government, led by a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon Segun Osibote.

The governor emphasised the need to instil party discipline within the APC to ensure that members of the party are accountable for their actions.

According to him, members must abide by the party’s constitution and be ready to defend their utterances at all times, adding that until people are made to bear the consequences of their words and actions, they won’t desist from lying.

He added that he is prepared to ensure that Adedayo is held responsible for what he has said as he must prove the allegations he made against his person.

“There are two things; he lied against me as the governor, he lied against me as Dapo Abiodun, he spoilt my name, and he tried to incite the public against the government. Wale Adedayo has to prove all these allegations one after the other.

“We have to instill discipline in governance, discipline in the party; people have to become accountable to what they say. You must be accountable for what you say so that you will always think very well before taking any nasty action.

“People have to be made to bear the consequences of whatever they say, and until we do that, they will not stop, and I am prepared to ensure that Wale Adedayo is held responsible for what he has said.

“He said he is committed to what he has said. He has to go and prove and show that I, Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State, diverted public funds. He has to go and prove that,” the governor said.

Abiodun disclosed that he had known Adedayo before he became the governor, noting that the former chairman is not his enemy.

He said that he opted for the candidacy of Adedayo as the local government chairman, even though he knew he wasn’t a person with stable character.

“I have known Wale Adedayo for so many years. I had been supporting him before I became governor. When I became governor, I appointed him as a consultant on media. I did not ask for the input of leaders of Ijebu East Local Government before I appointed him, so Wale is not my enemy.

“When it got to the issue of council elections, I thought to myself that council chairmanship isn’t meant for him because I know the kind of a person he is. I know that he wasn’t a person stable in character.

“The funds for the local government go straight into the account of local governments where they meet, share and remove what we call first-line charge from it; the salary of health workers, teachers in the local government, staff of the local government themselves and the salary of traditional rulers.

“He himself collects his own security votes. It has never been late. I even look for projects for them. Sometimes, I dip my hand into state funds for them so they can also have projects to execute. That same person can now say that I have been diverting local government funds,” he said.

Abiodun warned against any attempt to destabilise the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.

“Those who think that they can destabilise this state won’t sleep. They won’t even rest. This state will continue to move forward, either with them or without them, because it is God himself who has appointed me as the governor of this state at this particular time,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of APC in the local government, Chief Bayo Balogun, noted that the impeached chairman was running the local government with no regard for the party.

He berated the impeached chairman, saying his actions did not represent the character of the people from the local government.

Balogun assured that members of APC in Ijebu East are always solidly behind the governor and his administration.

Also at the meeting was the new chairman of the local government, Hon Adetutu Elizabeth Oyesanya.