A crowd of Lagos residents from Eti-OSa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have thrown their weight behind the council chairman, Hon. John Campos Ogundare over an allegation of misappropriating N1.9bn from the coffers of the local government.
Earlier, a different group had approached the Lagos State House of Assembly last thursday to demand for immediate suspension of Ogundare whom they accused of embezzling council funds.
However on Monday, a new group led by some executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Eti-Osa East embarked on a solidarity protest to the state assembly, asking the lawmakers to disregard the earlier protest because according to them, the group consists of faceless persons who are not known to be residents of Eti-Osa East LCDA.
Speaking with TheWest Newspaper on during the latest protest, APC chairman in the LCDA, Adekunle Odunuga, accused the earlier protesters of being sponsored by the political opponents of Hon. John Campos Ogundare. He said the acusers are not residents of the LCDA neither do they have anything to do with Eti-Osa East.
“We are here to dissociate ourselves from those who demonstrated last week at the Lagos State House of Assembly. They are not part of us. We don’t know them. They are not part of us in Eti-Osa East LCDA, nor are they members of our party, the APC. On behalf of members of the APC and the residents of Eti-Osa East, we pass a vote of confidence in the leadership of Hon. Campos Ogundare.” Odunuga told journalists during the protest.
Also speakng in the same vein, leaders of the traders association in the area, Alhaja Mutiat Awere alleged that some people are hellbent in seeing that Eti-Osa East remains underdeveloped. According to her, the developmental strides of the council chairman has been a threat to those she described as “enemies of Eti-Osa East”
Awere said, “Please don’t let them drag us backward in Eti-Osa East LCDA because the council chairman is doing a lot to improve the standard of living of residents. Those who are behind these baseless allegations want the chairman to enrich them, whereas he is concentrating on infrastructure development.
“That is his offence before them. So I want to appeal to the lawmakers to not allow the sponsored protesters to detail the good administration of Hon. Campos Ogundare.”
Bolaji Fakeye is a resident of Eti-Osa East LCDA. He said although he is not asking the House of Assembly to investigate the allegation but it is sheer waste of tme because those who accused Ogundare of misapproriation of funds are mere faceless people who had an axe to grind with Hon Ogundare because of his giant strides in the LCDA.
“We were surprised to see a video of protesters who came to the House of assembly but when I looked carefully, I realised there was nobody to pinpoint as a true resident of the area. So we decided to also come here and prove to the assembly that the protest was a fraud, put together by a group of people who are disgruntled and have problems with the Local Government Chairman.
“Funny enough, the chairman has been doing well. They said he stole N1.9bn but what about the projects he has been executing in the LCDA, where did the fund come from? Did they come from the ground? For instance, the problem of cultsm has been taken care of, with a community police he founded, -called Digbolu which works well with the national police/ What about market development? They also springing up and all doing well… Roads, Streets, Educations and more. He doing well.
“They should leave John Campos alone. Four plus Four is eight, They should not take us back to the doldrums!” Fakeye said
Chairman of Ohaneze Ndigbo of Eti-Osa East LCDA, Chief Jonathan Amadi who also joined the peaceful protest praised the Campos for the improvement in the security situation of the area. He said “Before now, you could not walk freely in Eti-Osa LCDA without being attacked by hoodlums, but today, all that is gone. The good work of the council chairman speaks volumes.
“He is working to develop the district, and that is why some bad people are sponsoring a campaign of calumny against him.
“Those that demonstrated last week are faceless. I was in Abuja last week when I heard about the protest, and I had to leave what I was doing to declare a vote of confidence in his leadership. He has shown good leadership and deserves a second term. This is why there has been no conflict in Eti-Osa East LCDA.” the Igbo leader told Journalists
A member of the House of Assembly representing Surulere 1 constituency, Hon. Desmond Olusola Elliot who received the protest letter on behalf of the assembly told the protesters that the house will consider both sides and carry out an investigation of the alleegation. He advised them to be patient with the process.
“Lagos State House of Assembly prides itself as living above the common level of excellence. In other words, we will listen to all parties. Last week, some came here and met with my honourable colleague who addressed them. Today, you have come, we will listen and take your protest.
“By the grace of God, we will raise your petition on the floor of the house during the next plenary. It eill duly deliberated” Hon Elliot told the protesters
