APM CALLS FOR OPEN AND DEMOCRATIC PROBE OF AJEROMI-IFELODUN LGA 2022 BUDGET PERFORMANCE

The Ajegunle People’s Movement (APM), a community campaign organisation of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), strongly disagrees with Hon. Fatai Adekunle Ayoola, Executive Chairman of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area in Lagos, over his claim of an 82% performance of 2022 Budget.

In a press statement issued by Samson Idowu-Alaba, Supervisor for Information, Strategy, and Communication of Ajeromi Local Government, it was claimed that the outgoing budget had reached a capital expenditure performance of 82% as of August 2022. The completion of road resurfacing at Iyalode Street and the construction of a box culvert at Olowojeunjeje Street were cited as examples of capital expenditure carried out in the over N3.2billion 2022 budget.

However, given the cost of the execution of a 20ftx3ftx5ft culvert box at the entrance of Olowojeunjeje Street, we seriously doubt that the contract sum is not inflated and fraudulent. Besides, in reality, it was the Lagos State Public Works Department which just patched the potholes on Iyalode Street.

We categorically state that there is nothing fundamentally and concretely to show for the 82% budget performance of the year 2022, amounting to about N2.63 billion out of N3,202811694.55.

Ajegunle still has 3 Primary Health Care (PHC) centers serving over 2 million people, whereas Alayabiagba PHC in the area has been under construction for more than three years with no hope of completion under the same APC-led Ayoola administration. It is a shame that a local government chairman, who is serving his second term, is more focused on a phantom budget performance rather than delivering basic healthcare services. This negligence has forced people who should ordinarily access PHC services to seek quack alternative medicine or self medication with attendant danger to lives and wellbeing.

Furthermore, according to the report on the website of Office of the Auditor General for Local Government in Lagos State, the statutory allocation to the local government for the year 2020 was N3,712806400.75, Grant was 27,536789.36, and IGR by the LG is 175,165072.07. This indicated that the local government received allocations in excess of its 2022 budget, as well as the fact that the Ajeromi-Ifelodun LG received the third highest Federal Allocation during the same budget review period.

Therefore, we of the APM call on the people of Ajegunle, including residents, workers, traders, artisans, etc.  to demand a public hearing/scrutiny of the 2022 budget, with elected representatives from each street, market, trade unions, trade groups, professional bodies and civil society organizations.

We also demand the democratic control of the 2023 budget by the representatives of the above listed groups in order to promote accountability and transparency in this year budget, and thereby ensure that it doesn’t follow the same path as the 2022 budget.

Moshood Oshunfurewa

Coordinator APM

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AJEGUNLE PEOPLES’ MOVEMENT (APM)

…dare to struggle, dare to win!

Kojo Lane off Layinka Street, Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos State, Nigeria

Tel: 08035936663, 07033775517