The Ajegunle People’s Movement (APM), a community-based platform of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), has rubbished the budget performance of the year 2021 claimed by Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola, Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, at a stakeholders’ public meeting held on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

The group in a statement issued on Thursday morning, January 20, and signed by the Coordinator, Moshood Oshunfurewa, recalled that the sum of N3,732,177,000.48 was presented by the chairman as an appropriation bill to the LG council legislative chamber led by Mr. Kehinde Arogundade at the council secretariat on February 11, 2021.

Speaking at the 2022 public stakeholders meeting on the budget appraisal, the council chairman, Hon. Ayoola, had said that “as of October 2021, the budget has performed as approximately 70% on both sides of the revenue and expenditure.” He highlighted some of the projects that had been completed and commissioned, as well as those that had been refurbished and renovated, and programmes implemented by his administration.

However, according to APM, “A scrutiny of the 14 projects and 6 programmes on his account of the 70% 2021 budget appraisal, to us in the APM, revealed a case of project racketeering and diversion of public funds, which has characterised the Ayoola APC-led administration for the past five (5) years of rule in the local government.

“For example, the Ajeromi-Ifelodun secretariat edifice was said to have been renovated for the sum of 400 million naira. This is most likely a conduit for public looting by the LG Hon. Ayoola administration. The cost was reportedly inflated while the contractor is alleged to be a son of a political godfather in Ajeromi. This is in addition to the fact that some projects, such as Alayabiagba Primary Health Care (PHC) Centre, that could have had a significant impact during this period of measles outbreak in Ajegunle were abandoned due to shady deals between contractor and the local government.

“In fact, a monetary examination of the budget based on the local government chairman's 70 percent performance of revenue and expenditure reveals that there is nothing to show for it. However, we in the APM believe that this is because of the corrupt contract system, which has enabled massive corruption and contract sum inflation. This is why we have consistently argued for an adequately funded and well equipped department of public works under a democratic control of workers and community people for execution of projects and infrastructure. In fact, we contend that many projects listed in the budget can be handled by local government workers at such a functional, democratically controlled department of public works at a lesser amount than what is paid to profit-first contractors and also create some job opportunities for youth. For example, it took just an individual, who operates a hotel in Arumoh Street to single handedly rebuild a culvert which collapsed barely three months after its construction by the LG contractor in Arumoh/Kojo junction.”

Continuing, APM said in the statement: “Furthermore, it is our contention in APM that the local government projects and programme contracts are in most cases awarded to the children and cronies of political godfathers in Ajegunle APC. We challenge and equally demand that the local government publish the full details of the last year 2021 budget including the projects and programmes carried out by the local government, as well as the cost and contractors’ names for public scrutiny. Clearly, anti-people, pro-godfather system of contract awards have resulted in enormous public revenues being earned from traders, market women and men, artisans, okada riders, cab and bus drivers and workers, and federal allocations (FA) by the LG being misappropriated for personal gain, leaving many communities such as in Ajegunle in a deplorable state of squalor.

“In conclusion, we urge the Ajegunle people, particularly the youth, market women and men, artisans, and workers in both the private and public sectors, to scrutinise the various projects and programmes. There must be also a demand that the local government’s department of public works should be equipped and placed under democratic control of workers and community people in order to be effectively and judiciously used to carry out projects, programmes, and infrastructures that will bring about meaningful development and reduce unemployment in the communities, as opposed to the current arrangement.”

•PHOTO: Ajeromi-Ifelodun LGA Chairman, Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola, Lagos State, presenting his 2021 scorecard at the January 11, 2022 stakeholders’ public meeting

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