Ogun Ex-Council Chairman Fingered In N10m Scandal

Heads may roll at one of the local government councils in Ogun State following the discovery of fraud allegedly perpetrated by a former Caretaker Committee Chairman.

LEADERSHIP findings showed that the immediate past Caretaker Chairman of Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of  Ogun State, Alhaji Jamiu Balogun has been fingered in a N10 million fraud  allegedly perpetrated  during his tenure at the council.


The scandal, our source said was uncovered by the State Auditors who were put in place to audit the account of the 20 local governments after the former caretaker chairmen completed their tenure last month.

The Audit Committee received its greatest shock when on getting to an address which appeared on about ten receipts, and the owner of the company claimed no knowledge of the transaction.

Speaking on the development, the Manager of Sholebo Arts Studio, Sola Bakare whose receipts were used for the scam narrated that he knew nothing about the contract and that he actually approached the local government to seek for contract but the offer was turned down.

Bakare said that he was shocked when the receipts were presented before him by the state Auditors who had came under the guise of customers adding that the receipts were fake and with varying signatures.

Bakare however called on the appropriate authorities to unravel the misery in the alleged scam adding that he will be ready to go to court should the government fail to produce the person behind the receipt forgery.

It was further gathered that the report has been submitted to appropriate authorities including the anti-graft agencies; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) for further investigation and appropriate sanction.

A top official of the state auditor general office who does not want his name in print lamented that money were released by  some of the councils but goods and services were neither rendered nor supplied but receipts with  untraceable addresses were issued.

The father of Sola Bakare, Samuel Idowu Bakare who was visibly angry with the development issued a month ultimatum to the state government to come out with the result of its findings threatening that he was ready to go to court to seek redress.

Idowu Bakare who claimed to be an old time friend of the former council boss said he could not believe that Alhaji Balogun could be part of such scandal.

Source: Leadership