Lagos State House of Assembly has nullified purported suspension of the Surulere Local Government Chairman, Tajudeen Ajide.
The followed the appearance of Ajide and the nine councillors before the House Committee on Public Account (Local Government), led by Mojeed Fatai.
At the meeting, the councillors reiterated Ajide’s alleged offences including a claim he spent N60 million unapproved funds on ongoing construction of a Primary Health Centre (PHC), at Akerele Road.
According to multiple persons familiar with the proceedings, the committee found the councillors’ extra-budgetary claim untrue.
“The committee listened to an explanation by the Council Manager, who said N160 million was allocated to the PHC in the council’s 2020 budget, out of total approved sum of N235million for the project. He stated the council had only spent N135million out of the N160million and that the councillors’ extra-budgetary claim did not exist,” said an official of the assembly.
Also, it was learnt that the aggrieved councillors failed to present proof that Ajide varied the contract sum for the PHC or any approval given for such. Moreover, the committee reportedly waved aside the councillors’ grouse that the council Chairman ignored summons to appear before them, which prompted his suspension.
The committee wondered why the councillors insisted on the chairman appearing before them when they could easily meet him to seek clarifications on the controversial spending.
Overall, the committee was clear there was no financial misconduct and advised parties to keep the peace.
On the claimed that the Vice-Chairman, Sulaiman Yussuf, has been installed as ‘Acting Chairman,’ the committee also nullified it.
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