Supporters of Lagos Council Boss stage counter Protest, say 'he did not steal N1.9bn'

Some Residents of  Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area(LCDA) on Monday staged a protest at  the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex against what they called false allegation of Funds misappropriation levelled against the Council Chairman, John Ogundare.

The Protesters, numbering about 1000, carried Placards with inscriptions dismissing the alleged N1.9bn  misappropriation.

The Protesters, who also chanted songs in support of the Chairman, were received by some Lawmakers.

A different Group of Residents had on Thursday staged a  Protest at the same Complex, demanding the suspension of Ogundare over the allegation.

Segun Williams, who led the earlier Protest, said the Council Chairman had been indicted by an Investigative Report of the Local Government’s Legislative Council, and urged Members of the State House of Assembly to act swiftly on the Matter.

Olusoji Fagbuda ,who led the Protest on Monday, described the N1.9bn misappropriation allegation against the Council Chairman as unfounded.

He said those who staged the earlier Protest, demanding the suspension of the Council Chairman, were blackmailers and that they were not known in the Council Area.

“We do not know these People who came on Thursday to protest. I am a Resident and APC Member, so I can say that these People are not known in our Area.

“The Protesters are hungry People who just want to survive. The allegation against our hardworking Chairman is unfounded, it is baseless.

“Those who allege should be able to prove, even the Councillors and Supervisors have told us that every allegation against the Chairman has been settled. So, the allegation is baseless,” he said.

Also speaking, Chairman, All Progressive Congress (APC) in  Eti-Osa East LCDA, Adekunle Odunuga, said they staged the Protest to dismiss the misappropriation allegation against the Council Chairman and to clear his name.

“We are here this morning to counter a Protest staged last Thursday to blackmail our Chairman.

“I am here with my People and Party Chairmen from various Wards are here with me. The Women Leaders from various Wards are here too. The Ndigbos, the Hausas, the Traders, Executives of  CDAs are all here with us. We are here to support our Chairman.

“We do not know the Protesters in the Council Area, they are not Residents of Eti-Osa East. So, we are here to counter their Protest because their allegation against the Chairman is unfounded.

“If they want to get details on how things are being done at the Council, they should have come to the Council instead of staging a Protest in order to damage the image of the Chairman,” he said.

Receiving the Protesters, Desmond Elliot, Lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency I, assured the Protesters that the Matter would be deliberated  by the House.

Elliot said the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa  and other Principal Officers, would advise accordingly.

“We have accepted what you have said and it will be taken in for further Investigation by the House.

“We have listened to all Parties present here and I believed last week, there was a Group that came here too. The Group met my Colleagues here and they addressed the Protesters.

“Today, you have also come to counter their Protest and we have listened and we will take your Protest and your Petition to the House.

“By the grace of God, when the next Plenary is called, we will raise it at the Floor of the House and it will be duly deliberated,” he said.

The Lawmaker appealed to the the Protesters to be peaceful and not do anything that could create tension in Eti-Osa.  

Credit NAN: Texts excluding Headline