Chairmen of the local governments across Osun state under the umbrella of the Osun ALGON have described statements by the Speaker of the House of assembly, Adewale Egbedun as deliberate falsehoods, rants and lies, aimed at sustaining the attempts to mislead the public.
Chairman of the ALGON, Abiodun Idowu at a press conference on Monday in Osogbo, said no money was diverted, stating that the allocations have been received and will be used to cater for the needs of the people.
Idowu explained the local governments are autonomous in line with the Supreme Court pronouncement, adding that the accounts with the United Bank for Africa were lawfully opened by chairmen of the councils.
Idowu said, “Contrary to the invented facts contained in the press conference statement issued by Hon. Wale Egbedun over the alleged diversion of the local government funds, it is emphatically stated that, except at the state government level since 2022 till date, no such unfounded diversion has occurred ever since assumption of office in February, 2025 by our Chairmen and Councillors across all the thirty local government councils of the state.
“It is unfortunate to note that Egbedun surreptitiously skipped the aspect of his state government’s unwholesome instigation of workers at the local government councils to unreasonably abstain from work since 16th February, 2025 till January, 2026. The unprecedented ugly development that compietely crippled governance at the grassroots for almost a year and a similitude of what the State Government under the administration of the same Egbedun did to the State Judiciary for more than seven months within a fraction of three wasteful years of administration justbecause someone is power drunk and does not want to see the face of the head of the Judiciary.
Idowu, flanked by his colleagues, explained how he and his colleagues have been administering the Councils, revealing that traditional rulers have been paid.
“Following the cantankerous refusal of the partisan workers to go to work for almost a year, the Councils under our administration devised a lawful means by which accounts were opened for the Local Government Counclls so as not to allov,
the entire local government system for which the Federal Government has hugely
laboured for Its constitutlonal survival to perish in Osun State as being wished and planned by the same Governor Ademola Adeleke government. All procedure legally required was observed by the Councils and the United Bank for Africa Just to religiously ensure there was no Infraction of the law.
“Members of the public must be Informed that the process took more than seven
months to become successful
“The Osun State Government under Governor Adeleke caused the institution of not
less than 14 lawsuits up to the Supreme Court so as to cynically thwart smooth
operation of the Councils by our administration having failed in its nordinate
efforts to superimpose his PDP members illegally selected under the ruse of ’22nd February, 2025 Local Government elections’ coupled with the reality of potency of the Supreme Court judgment of July, 2024 that has granted financial autonomy to the 774 Local Government Councils starring at his face. All the fruitless efforts made by the state Government under the headship of Governor Adeleke resulting from a series of court cases and procurement of multiple ex parte orders and instigated strike halted vigorous efforts of the chairmen and councillors to embark upon real and standard work for the good people of Osun State.” Idowu said.
Speaking on legal hindrances, legal adviser of APC, Adegoke Ogunsola said the state government has instituted 14 cases against local government administration, revealing that 13 have been lost.
Ogunsola said, “As at today, Osun State government has instituted 14 cases and 13 have been lost by them. The last one is before the Chief Magistrate’s Court and we have secured an order of High Court to quash it. We are only waiting for the adjourned date, which is February 9.”
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