Chairman of Epe Local Council in Lagos State, Surah Olayemi Animashahun, has denied allegations against her administration by a group, Epe Young Professionals.
The group had accused Animashahun of multiple cases of misconduct, including financial mismanagement, plagiarism and unauthorised sale of government property.
Animashahun, while refuting the claims in a statement, yesterday, insisted that the allegations were baseless, politically motivated and orchestrated to distract governance in Epe.
Also, the council chairman, denying the plagiarism claims, said that a quotation she used in a report, and being attributed to former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, is a widely recognised statement that could be used by anyone, saying: “The claim is therefore baseless and untrue.”
On the issue of certificate forgery, she said that her credentials were thoroughly vetted before assuming office.
“If there had been any discrepancies, I would not have been cleared to contest in the first place. I encourage the public to verify my credentials through the appropriate screening bodies,” she said.
Animashahun, in her remarks regarding allegations of financial misconduct, maintained that her administration had consistently provided transparent stewardship reports to the constituents.
She said: “Financial monitoring agencies responsible for overseeing public allocations have never raised any concern about this. If there were any mismanagement, the appropriate authorities would have taken action against me.”
She also dismissed the claim that her administration engaged in the illegal sale of government property, saying that the items in question, including telecommunications masts and generators, had deteriorated and posed risks to residents.
“After obtaining the necessary approvals from the relevant ministry, they were safely removed to prevent further hazards. The ‘aboki’ claim to have been involved in their sales was merely assisting in clearing debris from the council premises. No financial transactions or negotiations took place,” she affirmed.
Animashahun further stressed that all allegations were political moves to discredit her administration and reduce her chances of securing a second term.
