Ogun LG Crisis: Ayorinde Denies Selling Council's Assets, Says My Suspection Is A Childish Play

By Mercy James, Abeokuta

The suspended chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government(LG) Council of Ogun State,  Hon. Adebayo AbdulSalam Ayorinde, has described his suspension earlier today by the Council’s councillors as an “exercise in futility.”

Hon. Ayorinde, who was suspended by the legislative arm of the LG for alleged infractions, dismissed all the allegations against him as “outright lies.”

Refuting the accusations through
Hon. Yusuf Adekunle Kusimo of the Ayorinde Media Office in a statement to chairman declared that he was never involved in the selling of the local government assets given his clear understanding of the fundamentals of due process, stressing that he would therefore not do anything capable of tarnishing his cherished reputation built over the years.

He reiterated his commitment to the wholesome growth of Abeokuta North local government, and reckoned the purported suspension as an action that betrayed the ignorance and desperation of the signatories to it.

The chairman ‘s reaction in full reads”The Media office of Hon. Adebayo AbdulSalam Ayorinde, the Executive Chairman of Abeokuta North LG has been inundated with the news of purported suspension of our principal by some members of the Council’s legislative assembly.

We wish to react as follows;

That there is no basis for suspension of our Principal seeing as the whole allegation is predicated on outright lies. The Chairman was never invited for questioning before the supposed suspension was carried out. Again, to suspend the Chairman, 2/3 majority of the house would have to assent to the move. In this case, only 10 members out of 16 members hurriedly signed the ill-advised suspension letter, showing how ill -equipped they are for the legislative business. Besides, no one brought the supposed letter to the Chairman’s office.

That Hon. Ayorinde is not involved in the selling of the local government assets. As a learned and very exposed man, he understands the fundamentals of due process, and would therefore not do anything that would tarnish the reputation he has worked hard for.

That allegations of absence from office are also baseless and unfounded. The Chairman is never absent from office. However, anytime he is due for his medical leave, he writes to the appropriate quarters before travelling.

That the administration of Abeokuta North Local Government has witnessed unprecedented transparency and accountability under the leadership of Hon. Ayorinde. Many can bear witness to this.

More importantly, Hon. Ayorinde has never obstructed the legislative assembly from performing their duties. He is too refined for that. Our principal constantly supports the legislative council to ensure they perform at their optimum best. He also sponsors them on oversight functions to ensure they are not Councilors roaming the streets who are not productively engaged.

We hereby state categorically that the purported suspension is, therefore, an exercise in futility as it shows the ignorance and desperation of the signatories.

We advise the good people of Abeokuta North and the general public to ignore the news of the purported suspension as the real sponsors behind the plot would be unmasked real soon.

Hon. Ayorinde remains committed to the wholesome growth of Abeokuta North local government.”