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October 16, 2014 Micheal Abimboye

A government audit of 57 local councils in Lagos State has indicted eight, accusing their officials of squandering at least
N224 million of public funds on a range of questionable expenditure and unimplemented contracts.
The 2012 audit report covers the state’s Local Government Areas, LGAs, created and recognised by the Nigerian
government, as well as Local Development Council Administration, LCDAs, created by the Lagos State government, but
not recognised by the federal government.
Those accused of wasting public funds are Agbado Oke-odo, Surulere, Coker-Aguda, Egbe-Idumu, Eredo, Iba, Ikosi-
Isheri, and Lagos Island East.
The audit assessment, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, accused officials of the affected local authorities of “financial
recklessness”, and blamed them for wasteful spending.
The report also criticised another set of eight local government areas of piling up debts and failing to meet targeted
revenue projections.
The LCDAs in this category are Eti-Osa East, Ikoyi-Obalende, Iru-Victoria Island, Yaba, and Agabo-Oke LCDAs.
The LGAs are Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Somolu.
Together, the eight councils accounted for N788.3 million in debt, and fell short of the projected N831.5 million self-
generated revenue, the report states.
The respective debt profiles of each council were listed as Eti-Osa East N23.7m; Eti-Osa N52m; Ikoyi-Obalende N220.3m,
and Iru Victoria Island N50m.
Others are Lagos Mainland N163.8m; Yaba N51.2m; Somolu N147.5m and Agbado Oke-Odo N79.6m.
Unaccounted funds
The report highlights a series of disturbing spending and practices which the auditors said cost the 16 councils an
“unquantifiable financial shortfalls that could have been used for development projects at the grassroots”.
In Agbado Oke-Odo for instance, officials paid out N11.5m as personal advance for staff of the council since 2010 but
failed to deduct the payments from salaries of the beneficiaries.
Also, the council failed to remit statutory deductions from contracts awarded to the tune of N40.9m.
In Surulere, auditors found that N17.5 m, as against the agreed N12.8m, which was 30 percent of the mobilization sum,
was paid to a contractor for the installation of a Colour Led Display solution screen at Masha Road, Lagos State Water
Corporation Junction in Surulere Even so, “the project has not taken off since February 2011 when the agreement was
signed”, the report stated.
Tajudeen Ajide, the Chairman of Surulere Local Government, told PREMIUM TIMES that the allegations were false.
To prove his innocence, he presented documents and video clips showing that the Colour Led Display solution Screen
project actually kicked off, but was stopped by the Lagos State Advertising Agency, LASSA, which refused to grant
approval for the installation of the screen.
Mr. Ajide took a PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter to the proposed site of the Colour Led Display solution Screen project at
Masha Roundabout, Surulere, where work was yet to commence.
“The Led Display solution screen actually kicked off but the state advertising regulatory agency refused to approve the
locations we offered, the stadium junction and the roundabout at Masha, even after the state government approved the
project,” he said. “And this project would have boosted our revenue generation which I had planned to use to put into
education, and some key areas of the society.”
The council boss however did not explain why N17.5 million was paid instead of N12.8 million, the stipulated 30 per
cent mobilization fee.
Other local areas too
At Coker-Aguda LCDA, “spurious expenditure” totalling N1.3m was made by staff on behalf of the Local Council, the
report said.
“The payment appeared spurious because the minutes of the meetings were not provided to the audit team and pictorial
evidence of performance was not attached to the payment vouchers,” it stated.
A total of N29.1 m was unaccounted for in Egbe-Idimu LCDA.
“Expenditure Not Accounted For: Audit examination of the payment vouchers revealed that the sum of N10.0m paid to
various officers of the Local Council for sundry expenses was not accounted for,” the report said.
“Audit examination of the payment vouchers during the period under review revealed that the twenty-one payment
vouchers totalling N12, 652,000.00 were doubtful and unreasonable.
“Payments for Jobs not Executed Audit examination of payment vouchers showed that the sum of N6, 500,000.00 was
expended on spreading of loose laterite and stabilization of roads during the period under review. Further inspection to
the site revealed that these projects were not executed.
“Unpresented Payment Vouchers: Five payment vouchers totalling N10, 200,000.00 duly posted in the Combined
Cashbook were not produced for audit examination”.
Also, officials of the Eredo LCDA made unauthorized excess expenditure totalling N15m in 2012, just as 52 payment
vouchers amounting to N30.2m and duly paid and posted in the treasury cashbook, were not produced for audit
verification.
Officials of Iba LCDA were also indicted for overpayment of security allowance to the chairman by N2million in 2012.
Ramat Oseni-Adeyeri, the chairperson of Iba LCDA, dismissed the claims against her and other officials.
“It’s a fallacy,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.
At Ikosi-Isheri LCDA, the audit report noted an irregular auto loan facility to the tune of N100m from Fidelity Bank Plc
for the purchase of vehicles for various functionaries of the Local Council.
The transaction was observed to be fraught with various irregularities such as lack of proper documentation.
An audit of Lagos Island East LCDA also revealed expenditure not accounted for to the tune of N6.3million.
The council chairmen of Eti-Osa LGA, Iru Victoria Island LCDA and Surulere LGA responded to PREMIUM TIMES
inquiry.
Yisa Owolabi, the chairman of Eti-Osa East LCDA denied being in debt.
“The council took a facility of N100 m that year on capital project with d approval of the state government and as we
speak we will finish servicing it by the end of next month. We are among the most prudent council,” Mr. Owolabi said.
Also, Abayomi Daramola, the chairman of Iru-Victoria island LCDA said he was sure his council remitted all tax
deductions.
“We are not in any debt neither did we not remit any statutory tax deductions. I’m very sure,” he said.
The chairpersons of other indicted local government/councils did not respond to our requests for comments.



https://www.premiumtimesng.com/investigationspecial-reports/169586-exclusive-audit-exposes-massive-corruption-in-lagos-local-councils-indicts-officials-for-squandering-millions.html

"Hmmmm...see money." Could this be among the reasons why the governors are against LG autonomy? Guess it's the States governors that allocate these funds to them. They should atleast be able to control how they use such funds. May God bless Nigeria.

money dey where he dey, allocations dey flow up and down, auditing is just a freaking noise why the poor go rot in damn abject poverty... www..com

No bi Naija we dey?

A Generation of Young Christians
1. We are always right and we never accept
correction..A corrector is seen as an enemy
2. We love to sing in church, but do not read
our bibles at home
3. We are full of lust, sensuality and emotions
and we call it love
4. we want to have wonderful marriages, but
by the time we are 25years we've spent almost
ten years in relationships already. Sometimes
we may have had more boy lovers and girl
lovers than even our parents.
5. Sexual activities are now part of our
relationships calling it romance
6. we want to be rich in life, meanwhile we
spent all our finances on the latest ipads,
iphone, galaxies, htcs, laptops, cameras etc
which in many cases we use less than 30% of
their functions
7. We do not pay our tithes and offerings
claiming we are students
8. We say we are christian women but dress
like hollywood stars and we call it fashion
9. We love pleasures rather than God
10. In church you will see us with our hands
lifted up singing slow songs which we call
worship but on our phones in our pockets, you
will see pics of naked and half naked women,
hip hop, hip life and we have a nice way of
justifying it.
11. We are hardly convicted when we go to
church because our hearts have been hardened
by the deceitfulness of sin and pride...etc etc
etc
But God forsaw this and warned us in 2Tim.
3...That in the last days
men and women will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-
control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God, having a form of godliness
but denying its power.
We need to change our ways, we have no
excuse on judgement day, Repent. U can forward if u want to. But I know u wouldn't because is not funny.
share Jesus today to save yourself and the world @large
BIBLICAL TRUTH

#RICHARD JEMEDAFE

Lagos is moving.

Lagos State high debt blame game.

This is not a suprise.

*EDITED*

I'm really grateful to the Almighty God for making it possible for me to buy this land.

All efforts to comment on a thread that made FP has proved impossible until this day.

There is indeed time for everything under heaven. Its now my turn to shine.

Fellower nairalanders abeg celebrate with me

**DANCING SHOKI***

Naija I hail o

I can see corruption everywere in Nigeria: kparakpo executives,SUG officials in our Nigerian universities,local government officials,state government officials,federal goverment officials,ministers,senators,director-generals,vice-chancellors of universities,managing directors,chief medical directors and medical directors,inspector-generals,comptroller-generalsof customs,chiefs of army staff,chiefs of naval staff,supreme court justices(yes,even them),vice presidents,deputy governors,first ladies(both federal,state and local government,INEC chairmen,army general(hmmm);the list is endless. Corruption has come to stay;even the youths and those warming up to take over from these tested and trusted corrupt office holders,are not any good,as their minds are already fixated on their what to loot. #CorruptionHasComeToStaInNigeria#

Make dem continue

Whoever that is surprised by this news must be a visitor in Nigeria.
Audit would show mismanagement of funds even in churches and Mosque.
Blackman is simply too black minded to manage himself.

I can bet one of my balls, 90% of the people above me read only the topic

These LGA men , Na them dem dey like marry new wife + take traditional title pass

So, Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA did not make the list? Surprising

Before nko?
Audiit any government parastatal and see if there wouldnt be a detected fraud.
We dont need to be told, we know.
Abi how does a governor build a home in Banana Island with a salary of just 200k above.

I just found a guy who is capable of satisfying me sexually. Right now we just had the early morning sex and I'm pleased. Its sweet and I'm happy he knows how to fvck me. I'm really lucky.

All is well

Big bellied politicians.
Gold chain around their necks.
Wearing babariga and agbada because they are now big men.

Putting their posters on a newly built road using government funds as if it's a big deal to build roads.

Oppressing others and showing you are now in power.

Speaking in a public occasion and you will always try to make sense of what they are saying.

They went into politics for a wrong reason.
They fought their way in...
Most of them are promiscuous, like thuggery, drunkenness, dishonest and so are unfit to rule.

At the end of the tenure, you will realize they haven't done anything creative or spectacular because they are lazy and have surrounded themselves with lazy people without sense and insight.
The effect of this eventually is mismanagement of funds and fraud.

okk

Corruption everywhere

I didnt bother to read the entire news, because every political appointtee in N igeria sees holding govt position even for a day as "settlement" from jah

eko - - baje

Give authonomy to the local councils,most governors are just looting the funds meant for the third tier.

corruption is the general culture of nigeria...

.