Ex-Lagos LG Boss Fled To Canada Over Corruption Allegation

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Former Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, Dr Adesola Adedayo has absconded after shunning the invitations of two committees of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Dr Adedayo reportedly fled to Canada days after he refused to honour the invitation by the House Committee on Public Accounts for Local Government as well as that of the Local Government Administration.

The two committees had summoned him to answer questions concerning a petition from the local government about how he allegedly took over government properties.

Some of these properties were allocated to the LCDA after it was carved out of Apapa Local Government.

He was also to answer questions relating to graft as exposed by a report of the state auditor-general.

Members of the committee said the former council chairman only kept them waiting for hours on the days he was supposed to appear.

“He did not even send a message to excuse himself or give us reasons why he could not make it,” an angry committee member said.

Among allegations levelled against the former council chairman are that he leased out government buildings in choice areas of the state for ridiculous sums of money.

For example, Adedayo, a medical doctor-turned-politician, allegedly leased out a storey building on 15, Temple Road, Ikoyi, for between N190,000 and N200,000 yearly.

Others allegedly given out for ridiculous amounts include: a block of six flats on 37b, Glover Road, Ikoyi, a bungalow in Igbo-Efon Village, Victoria Island, a storey-building shopping complex on Payne Crescent, Apapa and others.

“All the leasing was done in such a shady manner that raises a lot of questions which he must clarify.

How can you lease out such buildings in major areas of the country for such low prices and for between 17 and 20 years?” A member of one of the two committees queried, adding that the former chairman had always acted with impunity which the current House of Assembly is not willing to condone.

Adedayo was said to have left the country when it was obvious the committees could be considering motions for a warrant of arrest on him.

Calls to his phone line was not taken, while he was yet to return the calls at the time of this report.