The Chairman of Olorunda North Local Council Development Authority, Hon Abdulqadri Ademola Owonikoko has dismissed the alleged ‘vote of no confidence’ passed on him by the council parliamentarians on Saturday.
Owonikoko dismissed the vote while fielding questions from newsmen in his residence on Thursday. He referred to the action as political humbuggery, claptrap and an attempt to tarnish his good reputation and political records.
Integrity as he is fondly called by political admirers, while responding to the purported resolution by the Honorable members who passed vote of no confidence on him on the basis of running the administration of Olorunda North LCDA as ‘one man business’ denied knowledge of any wrong doing levelled against him by the council parliamentarians.
In his words, “I was surprised when people bombarded my phone with calls yesterday asking how true was the news in circulation about the ‘unlawful vote of no confidence’ passed on me. The funniest part of it is that, I was at the council with all members of the Parliament on Monday without any allegation from any of them about their claim of running the council as my personal business.
“Let me tell you this, I handed over the affairs of the council to my vice, Hon. Musibau Ajisebiyawo in acting capacity while I was out of the state to take care of my health’s challenge between the month of June and September this year for transparency, and he oversaw the resources of the council till I resumed this month without any question from any angle. If I have any loophole, would I have given him freehand to that level?
“I am known for community development while they want otherwise. Despite the little impress paid so far, they keep asking for the rest of their impress out of the little allocation we received (from the main council) but I want to protect our names even after the administration for us to have something tangible to point at in terms of community development.
“If there is any allegation against me, they should ask for the income and expenditure of the local government, none of them ever accused me of mismanagement of fund until yesterday when the news of the fake resolution came to me. I am one of the local government chairmen who are able to manage the council resources judiciously despite scarce resources, my achievements in the last two years as caretaker and executive chairman of Olorunda North Local Council Development Area are marvelous.
“Despite the reduction in allocation since the financial autonomy has been granted, Olorunda North LCDA is known for physical projects, community and rural development, administrative and people’s oriented programmes at the grassroot under my watch. I have built and furnished the Olorunda North secretariat (phase one, two, three and four) supervised by the supper for works, Hon. Lawal Olalekan and Hon. Adewale Omidiran who is the leader of the house. I’m the only Chairman who provided well furnished office for each parliamentarian in Osun, sinking of 8 (eight) boreholes across wards, Provision of maternity health centre, office for the Civil Defense Corps, grading of many roads, provision of two 100KV transformers for rural electrification, renovation of police station with provision of security patrol vehicle to Oba-Oke community, Empowerment programmes for our people among others.
“I am the chairman of this local government and nothing can change it till the end of my tenure, those who are playing politics of bitterness should desist from it before they face the wrath of God.”
When asked if the unanimous action of his colleagues were engineered by some political leaders against his personality, Hon Owonikoko affirmatively dispelled any party threat or sponsored action against him.
“In Olorunda North, no political leader is in support of the so called vote of no confidence because our people know how the council is being managed. Up till now, none of them has the courage to attend the meeting summoned by our party leaders and executives led by Alh Mufutau Oladapo on this issue. Our party, APC will not even accept any form of illegality.
“I’m using this medium to challenge them to come out and tell the people how I mismanaged the local government resources. I will be glad if the state assembly led by Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye can call us to explain to the world how I manage the resources since the inception of my administration,” Owonikoko Concluded.
