Inside Details Of How Dapo Abiodun Is Keeping Ogun Council Chairmen & Their Hangers – On Happy

Charles Oyelesi

The Governor of Ogun State Dapo Abiodun’s profile is on the rise.

After a shaky start to governance and handling of politicians, he appears to be getting things right.

The noise against him has dwindled in the face of loads of widespread appointments and initiation and near completion of this and that projects.

Societynow.ng gathered that one of the major steps that are working for the Governor is a strategy that is keeping all local government chairmen in the state happy and also providing them with invaluable opportunity to positively impact the masses.

Insiders disclosed that Governor Abiodun has devised a system that gives all the twenty (20) council chairmen in Ogun state security votes “as at when due.”

“The council chairmen now get two million Naira as security votes monthly” societynow.ng learned.

Sources disclosed that the security votes allow the council chairmen to take care of “political and related needs.”

This development is said to be outside of an arrangement that allows the council chairmen to come up with a blueprint and budget of projects that can impact on their communities and the state government provides the funds.

Insiders disclosed that this understanding recently birthed the council chairmen about Fifteen (15) million Naira to impact on their council areas with this and that projects a couple of weeks ago.

Societynow.ng learned Governor Abiodun adopted this strategy as a form of support – coupled with their internally generated revenues – to enable the council chairmen to take care of the “everyday needs” of their areas while the state government focuses on major projects.

“The thinking is that this would bring governance nearer to the people and reduce the noise about non-performance and take away the chances the oppositions are zeroing on to attack the Dapo Abiodun administration and this appears to be working very well” societynow.ng learned.

Insiders confirmed the council chairmen, workers, politicians, and others in the value chain of this strategy are very happy with the process.

“Because it is far better from what immediate past Governor Ibikunle Amosun did. Amosun only gave the chairmen two million Naira at intervals, a couple of times to run the councils” societynow.ng learned.

The checks conducted by societynow.ng revealed that Amosun expanded the council areas to 57 from 20 without putting in place adequate structures for their operations.

The move reportedly ballooned the cost of governance and put a heavy strain on the operations of the councils.

Abiodun reverted the numbers of local councils to 20 for easy rule and appears to be “enriching their operations with much-needed supports from the state government in a win-win strategy” societynow.ng learned.