By Ken Afor
The accounts of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), have been frozen by the acting governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
According to reports, the acting governor also instructed the recently established LCDAs not to open any additional accounts until further notice.
“Distinguished HOLGAs, His Excellency, the Acting Governor of Ondo State, has directed that all spending/ expenditure from local government accounts should be suspended. No signing of cheques, no change of signatories, no withdrawal of any sort until further directive.
“Please adhere strictly to instruction and be guided,” the letter read.
This has led to agitation by some members of the LGAs caretakers expressing disapproval of the directive given by the acting governor.
Appalled by the directive, a member of the caretakers of the LGAs who did not disclose his identity to Vanguard said, “Yes, he has blocked the accounts of the local governments. We don’t know why he’s doing that now.”
Meanwhile, the acting governor has also announced that his Deputy Chief of Staff, Omojuwa Olusegun, will assume the responsibility of organizing and authorizing his official commitments temporarily.
This was communicated in a letter signed by Omojuwa and addressed to members of the State Executive Council and top government functionaries read: “The Acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has directed me to inform all members of the State Executive Council and Top Government Functionaries that the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor would be responsible for the preparation and signing of his official engagements for the time being.
“The Chief of Protocol would take charge of this responsibility as soon as Mr. Governor resumes from his medical vacation.”
It would be recalled that on Thursday, Aiyedatiwa took over as Acting Governor after a letter was transmitted to the Ondo State House of Assembly by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, notifying it that it has delegated authority to his deputy while he will be away for another medical leave.
