The Osun State House of Assembly has warned the United Bank for Africa (UBA) against further disbursement of funds intended for local governments in the state, vowing to recover any funds that have already been disbursed to chairmen and councilors affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, on Sunday – earlier today, February 1, Adewale Egbedun, the Speaker of the Assembly, accused Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola of directing UBA to release these funds.
He alleged that N25 million had been disbursed to each of the 30 APC chairmen, N12 million to each of the 30 APC Vice Chairmen, and N10 million to each of the 332 APC councilors, along with N130 million paid to selected traditional rulers.
Egbedun also cited concerns about the allocation of N13 billion for legal fees to a law firm representing the allegedly illegal chairmen and councilors, asserting that this represented 15% of the deposited funds.
“Even more disturbing are reports before this House that plans are allegedly underway to disburse another N50 billion of local government funds for political purposes, disguised as project funds, while governance at the grassroots continues to suffer,” he said.
The Assembly emphasized that it would not tolerate the diversion of public funds earmarked for salaries, healthcare, education, and community development into private hands, particularly for political gain.
Egbedun warned of severe legal repercussions, affirming that funds handled illegally would be recovered, and those responsible would face justice.
“Mr. Oyetola, who is a nephew to President Tinubu, has no constitutional or moral authority to control local government funds or influence banks regarding local government administration,” he stated.
He further declared that any bank that processes local government funds under unauthorized instructions acts unlawfully and puts itself and its officers at risk of criminal liability.
“The illegal disbursement of public funds is fraudulent and not a matter of political discretion; it is a crime,” Egbedun stressed.
The House clearly warned UBA that any illegal disbursements of local government funds, whether purportedly authorized by Oyetola or any other individual, would be fully recovered.
The legislators cautioned that funds disbursed under such alleged illicit instructions would be considered as gifts to Oyetola and could not be deducted from Osun State local government accounts.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the APC, Kola Olabisi, in a statement on Sunday, alerted the police and other security agencies to purported plan by a sponsored protest of the coalition of the civil society groups orchestrated by the Governor Ademola Adeleke-led government over local government impasse.
“If the information at our disposal is anything to go by, the state government has enlisted the services of the civil society groups to lay siege to the local government council areas when it could not have its way through litigation in the various courts in the country.
“We are not against any lawful protest as it is one of the ingredients of a democratic government. But when such protest is commercialised, it becomes a suspected political tool devised to get at the political opposition,” APC said.
