A civic group, Lygel Youths and Leadership Initiative, has accused the Ogun State Government of undermining local government administration through opaque procurement processes and failing to deliver critical healthcare and infrastructure projects. The group has called on anti-graft agencies to make public the outcomes of investigations into alleged diversion of council funds.
During a press briefing on Monday titled “The Gateway State: A Call for Accountability and Governance Reform,” the group stated that Ogun State is at a “critical junction” with less than one year remaining in Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration. Lekan Oladapo, the Executive Director of the civil society organization, alleged that the administration has weakened the third tier of government by withholding federal allocations and ecological funds meant for the state’s 20 local government councils.
According to the group, this development has crippled grassroots governance and frustrated the implementation of federal programs across the state. Many councils are reportedly operating under a “zero allocation reality,” rendering them unable to perform basic duties such as grading rural roads and maintaining primary healthcare centers without seeking intervention funds from the state government. The group described this as a violation of the Supreme Court judgment affirming financial autonomy for Nigeria’s 774 local governments and a setback to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s grassroots development agenda.
On procurement practices, the organization accused the state government of running a “closed-door” system lacking transparency and accountability. It cited the N1.39 billion Ogun State House of Assembly Complex project, alleging that civil society organizations had to invoke the Freedom of Information Act to obtain details of the contract, including its scope, contractor, and funding structure. “The lack of an open and functional procurement portal remains a significant red flag for accountability,” the group said.
The organization also criticized what it described as Ogun State’s failure to maximize its economic advantage as a border state to Lagos, lamenting the poor state of infrastructure in industrial corridors such as Agbara-Atan-Lusada. It argued that inadequate planning and infrastructure have discouraged investments and left communities such as Akute, Denro, and Ishasi without basic amenities.
In the health sector, the group challenged the government to identify any major state hospital newly built and fully operational within the last seven years. It noted that only about 42 out of more than 530 primary healthcare centers in the state were reportedly renovated as of late 2023, adding that general hospitals across the state are suffering from chronic understaffing and inadequate diagnostic equipment.
The group further raised concerns over allegations surrounding Governor Abiodun’s reported 1986 arrest record in the United States and claims of discrepancies in documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2019 and 2023 elections. It called for an independent verification of the records “to ensure the integrity of the mandate he holds.”
The organization urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to publicly disclose the outcome of investigations into alleged diversion of local government allocations and procurement irregularities in the state. “The ‘Building Our Future’ mantra cannot be built on a foundation of opacity and neglected grassroots,” the group added.
