OSUN State House of Assembly, yesterday, raised the alarm over alleged illegal payment and handling of billions of naira from Osun local councils’ funds by APC chairmen through the alleged machinations of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, and a deposit money bank.
The House also condemned and decried reports of N25 billion of the councils’ funds being paid out to each of the 30 illegal APC chairmen and N12 million to each of the 30 illegal APC vice chairmen.
Others include N10 million to each of the 332 APC councillors, N130 million each to selected traditional rulers in the state and N13 billion legal fees to Layonu and Co, lawyers representing the illegal chairmen and councillors, as 15 per cent of the deposited funds.
Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, who spoke during a media briefing in Osogbo, warned of harsh legal consequences as every illegally handled fund would be recovered and those involved
“We will not tolerate the diversion of public funds meant for salaries, healthcare, education, and community development into private hands to fund the election of a particular politician in Osun State.
“Any bank that releases council funds on the instructions of unauthorised persons, regardless of who issued such instructions, acts unlawfully and exposes itself and its officers to criminal liability. Illegal disbursement of public funds is fraudulent. It is not banking practice. It is not political discretion. It is a crime,” Egbedun stated.
Meanwhile, Oyetola has dismissed the claim by the Assembly that he is meddling in the affairs of local councils in the state.
Oyetola, in a statement by his Special Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola, said that all local councils in Nigeria have financial autonomy and are beyond the control of any person or entity, including the state government.
Akinola said the attempt to link Oyetola to the administration or disbursement of local council funds was reckless propaganda designed to distract the public from the state government’s own failures and ongoing legal battles.
He stressed that the minister has no constitutional or statutory role in local council finance and has neither issued directives to banks nor interfered in the running of the councils.
