The Ajegunle People’s Movement, a community-based platform of the Democratic Socialist Movement, has berated the 2021 budget performance claimed by Fatai Adekunle Ayoola, Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State at a stakeholder’s meeting held on January 11, 2022.
APM in a statement by its Coordinator, Moshood Oshunfurewa, demanded full publication of various projects and programmes embarked upon in 2021 alongside cost and names of contractors for public scrutiny.
The group also demanded an end to contract system that allegedly allows diversion of public funds into the pockets of some ruling All Progressives Congress members.
The statement reads, “We in the APM recall that the sum of N3,732,177,000.48 was presented by the chairman as an appropriation bill to the LG council legislative chamber led by Mr Kehinde Arogundade at the council secretariat on February 11, 2021.
“The chairman stated in his speech at this year’s 2022 public stakeholder’s meeting on the budget appraisal that as of October 2021, the budget has performed as approximately 70% on both sides of the revenue and expenditure. In the same speech, the chairman highlighted some of the projects that had been completed and commissioned, as well as those that had been refurbished and renovated, and programmes implemented by his administration.
“A scrutiny of the 14 projects and six programmes on his account of the 70% 2021 budget appraisal, to us in the APM, revealed a case of project racketeering and diversion of public funds, which has characterised the Ayoola APC-led administration for the past five years of rule in the local government. For example, the Ajeromi-Ifelodun secretariat edifice was said to have been renovated for the sum of N400million.
“This is most likely a conduit for public looting by Ayoola administration. The cost was reportedly inflated while the contractor is alleged to be a son of a political godfather in Ajeromi. This is in addition to the fact that some projects, such as Alayabiagba Primary Health Care Centre that could have had a significant impact during this period of measles outbreak in Ajegunle were abandoned due to shady deals between contractor and the local government.
“In fact, a monetary examination of the budget based on the local government chairman’s 70 per cent performance of revenue and expenditure reveals that there is nothing to show for it. However, we in the APM believe that this is because of the corrupt contract system, which has enabled massive corruption and contract sum inflation. This is why we have consistently argued for an adequately funded and well equipped department of public works under a democratic control of workers and community people for execution of projects and infrastructure.
“In fact, we contend that many projects listed in the budget can be handled by local government workers at such a functional, democratically controlled department of public works at a lesser amount than what is paid to profit-first contractors and also create some job opportunities for youth.
“Furthermore, it is our contention in APM that the local government projects and programme contracts are in most cases awarded to the children and cronies of political godfathers in Ajegunle APC.
“We challenge and equally demand that the local government publish the full details of the last year 2021 budget including the projects and programmes carried out by the local government, as well as the cost and contractors’ names for public scrutiny.
“Clearly, anti-people, pro-godfather system of contract awards have resulted in enormous public revenues being earned from traders, market women and men, artisans, okada riders, cab and bus drivers and workers, and federal allocations (FA) by the council being misappropriated for personal gain, leaving many communities such as in Ajegunle in a deplorable state of squalor.
“In conclusion, we urge the Ajegunle people, particularly the youth, market women and men, artisans, and workers in both the private and public sectors, to scrutinise the various projects and programmes.
“There must be also a demand that the local government’s department of public works should be equipped and placed under democratic control of workers and community people in order to be effectively and judiciously used to carry out projects, programmes, and infrastructures that will bring about meaningful development and reduce unemployment in the communities, as opposed to the current arrangement.”
