The Osun State Government has warned that local government chairmen elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, who claim possession of all local government secretariats in the state, will be held accountable for any missing items from the council offices.
The warning was issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, during a radio programme on Saturday monitored by The Guardian in Osogbo.
Alimi accused the APC chairmen, who reportedly occupy the local government secretariats, of removing government property and stressed that the government would compel them to account for every missing item.
He further assured the public that the “authentic local government chairmen,” elected under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), would soon legally resume their duties.
In response to the looting allegations, the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun APC faction, Samuel Abiodun, denied the claims when contacted by The Guardian.
Abiodun questioned what there is to loot in the secretariats, stating, “Is it furniture or money? There is nothing to loot there, and none of us has looted anything.”
He maintained that the APC chairmen elected in 2022 are the rightful council chairmen, as affirmed by the Court of Appeal judgment, and will remain so until a higher court, such as the Supreme Court, rules otherwise.
Abiodun also stated that Commissioner Alimi has no authority to question their actions and reiterated that they cannot take what belongs to the state because there is nothing to loot.