The Lagos State House of Assembly has suspended the Alimosho Local Government Area chairman, Sulaimon Jelili, indefinitely over alleged non-compliance and unyielding attitude to the legislature.
The House made the resolution at the plenary on Monday through a unanimous voice vote that the vice chairman of the council, Akinpelu Johnson, should take over running the council’s affairs.
The assembly further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise the authority of the vice chairman and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.
In April 2024, pandemonium broke out in the Iyana-Ipaja axis of Alimosho Local Government, leading to the death of one Micheal Ajayi.
The chairman of the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sanni Okanlawon, who investigated the cause of the pandemonium, moved the motion for the suspension.
According to Mr Okanlawon, all stakeholders involved in the issue were invited, but Mr Jelili allegedly continued to show acts of misconduct to the House committee.
Mr Okanlawon alleged that Mr Jelili failed to adhere to the assembly’s directives and his mismanagement of public funds.
The committee chairman, therefore, called for Mr Jelili’s immediate suspension in line with relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“He should be suspended immediately while the vice chairman takes over with immediate effect,” he prayed.
The majority leader of the House, Noheem Adams, while supporting the call for Mr Jelili’s suspension, added that the action would make other local government chairs sit well.
“The Alimosho council chairman does not follow procurement processes in the budget. There has been a lot of misconduct from him and I support that the chairman be suspended indefinitely,” he said.
In his contribution, Nureni Akinsanya, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts for Local Government, referred to the report submitted by the state auditor-general concerning the activities of Mr Jelili.
Mr Akinsanya said the report allegedly underscored the council chairman’s consistent non-compliance with financial regulations, with significant irregularities in his records.
He thereafter emphasised these discrepancies, supporting Okanlawon’s call for Jelili’s suspension.
Similarly, Ladi Ajomale expressed surprise that the council chairman had been recalcitrant despite previous reports detailing his alleged financial mismanagement.
Sa’ad Olumoh also prayed the House to invite Kolade Alabi and Rasak Ajala, chairs of Bariga LCDA and Odi Olowo LCDA, respectively, as heads of the Conference 57, to explain the widespread disregard by council bosses for governance protocols.
The speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, directed the House clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, to communicate the assembly’s resolution to all relevant authorities.
(NAN)
