Lagos assembly suspends LG chairman over ‘misappropriation of N350m’

The Lagos state house of assembly has suspended Oloruntoba Oke, chairman of Ifako/Ijaye local government, and three others over alleged misappropriation of N350 million.

The suspension was sequel to a report submitted to the assembly by Rotimi Olowo, chairman of an ad-hoc committee constituted to investigate the alleged misappropriation of funds in the council.

Olowo said the fund was approved in 2012 for five projects in the local government.

The lawmaker named others affected as the council manager, the treasurer and the engineer.

Abiodun Tobun, lawmaker representing Epe I, lamented that some council officials were working against the law, urging them to embark on projects that would improve the lives of the people.

Tobun said the suspension would serve as deterrent to others who had it in mind to misappropriate funds allocated for project execution.

Bisi Yusuff, lawmaker representing Alimosho I, pointed out that the secretariat for which the loan was collected, amongst others, was still in a bad state.

Yusuff condemned what he called the inability of the ministry of local government and local government service commission to monitor projects at the council.

He said it was their negligence that contributed to the misappropriation of funds in the council.

Commenting on the issue,  Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the assembly, said the chairman could not be suspended in isolation, as other officials were also indicted in the report.

He directed that Akanbi Hamzat, vice chairman of the council, should take over the affairs of the council.