Rauf Aregbesola: Fear Grips Osun ALGON
The fear that Governor Rauf Aregbesola may follow the paths of his colleagues in Edo and Ekiti States has forced the state Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State Chapter to begin efforts to perfect financial records of the 30 local governments in the state.
The chairmen of the Local Government who were said to have ran into hiding when the Appeal Court declared Aregbesola winner of the 2007 governorship election for fear of being attacked by the governor's loyalists, came out only to start putting their books in order in case of any eventuality.
A source told Huhuonline.com that "the state council chairmen have been in agony for the fear of dissolution by the new governor."
Huhuonline.com further learnt that the state ALGON chairman, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye on Wednesday night (last week) summoned a meeting of the 30 council chairmen and the Directors of Personnel Management (DPM) in the councils on the need to appraise the new development in the state and work on their finance.
The meeting was held at one of the residences of the chairman of Olorunda Local Government Council in the State, Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa.
However, it was learnt that of the 30 chairmen, only five attended the meeting, while all the DPMs in the 30 council areas ignored the invitation.
Those reported to have attended the meeting were Mr. Abimbola Oyedele, Boripe Council chairman; Mr Eyitayo Ajayi, Boluwaduro; Ibukun Fadipe of Ilesa-West; the ALGON chairman, Mr Igbalaye and Ganiu Olaoluwa.
A source who witnessed the meeting said those who attended it expressed fear over the financial status of the local governments.
They also are filled with the fear that some of them would be sent to jail if their financial acts are discovered not to be right when the State government decides to probe the financial records in the last three years.
"They are also afraid of some uncompleted structures some of which have been abandoned as a result of their reckless activities within the last three years.
"You know the they got so corrupt to the extent that the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE petitioned the State House of Assembly, accusing the chairmen of financial recklessness and illegal deductions from the councils' monthly allocations," the source said, adding that the chairmen were however banking on the assurance of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Adejare Bello, that the governor had told him he would not dissolve the Local Government Councils.