An anti-corruption organisation, Center for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has said that the impeached Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Hon Wale Adedayo, is a whistle blower who deserves security protection and not harassment.

The Director of the Organisarion, Debo Adeniran, in a statement issued on Wednesday said the group was alarmed by the harassment of the former Chairman by state security institutions.

Adedayo had accussed Governor Dapo Abiodun of the state, in a letter written to Chief Olusegun Osoba, of diverting local government allocations in the last three years.

The former Chairman who was later suspended and impeached by the lawmakers in the local government, further alleged that the local government under Abiodun has been operating on zero allocation.

Adedayo, who was later arrested by the Department of State Services and later by the police, was arraigned before an Abeokuta Magistrate Court for allegedly attacking the integrity of the Governor.

CACOL said, "Hon Wale Adedayo wrote a petition to Chief Olusegun Osoba and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), wherein he accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting Local Government Council funds in Ogun State.

"The funds allegedly diverted from the Federation Account Allocation (FAAC) by the State Government covers all statutory allocations from 2021, running into multi billion Naira.

"We are alarmed by the use of State Security Institutions to harass the Chairman, Wale Adedayo, whom we gathered has again been arrested by the Police on the strength of petition by Governor Dapo Abiodun.

"It is our expectations that the Police are aware that Adedayo is a Whistle Blower in this case, who should be protected by security agencies.

"The whistle blowing Chairman, Adedayo was unceremoniously impeached in suspicious circumstances. The State Government deployed state machinery of coercion to arrest and detain the Council Chairman, Adedayo and as well intimidate the Councillors to carry out the impeachment processes.

"On September 2, 2023, Wale Adedayo was arrested by the Department of State Security Services operatives on the account of a spurious petition by the State Government, but he was later released after four days in detention, paving the way for the purported impeachment."

Adeniran called on all well-meaning leaders and citizens of the state to take critical interest in the case, adding that issues in the allegations against the governor were not treasonable and shouldn't cause security apprehension.

"As an anti-corruption watchdog, we call on all well-meaning leaders and citizens of the Gateway State to take critical interest in this case.

"The issues contained in the Allegations of Hon. Wale Adedayo, are not treasonable, felonious and should not create security apprehension.

"They are purely issues of dire necessity to tackle corruption as a hindrance on our social, human development index.

"We strongly call on the Ogun State Government to stop chasing after shadows but should squarely explain to the public and anti-corruption agencies, how the statutory allocations to the Local Councils were disbursed."

It called on the EFCC and the ICPC to swing into action and track the federal allocations and determine the allegations of Adedayo.

"We, unequivocally call on the Anti-Corruption Agencies, ACAs – Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), to swing into action, track the FAAC allocations and determine where the funds went to. 

"Even if the Governor is immune, this does not cover investigations, and his Commissioners, Aides, Managers of JAAC can be invited, apprehended, and prosecuted, if found culpable."