Lagos Assembly suspends council chairman indefinitely

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday suspended the Chairman of Alimosho LGA, Jelili Sulaimon, indefinitely.

During its plenary session, the Assembly resolved that the vice chairman of the council, Akinpelu Johnson, should immediately assume the role of chairman.

The House further directed the council’s management, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise Johnson’s authority and provide him with the necessary support to ensure the smooth running of the council’s affairs.

Sulaimon’s suspension was passed by a unanimous vote due to alleged non-compliance, defiance, and disregard for the authority of the legislative body.

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The motion for suspension was moved by Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, chairman of the House Committee on Local Government Administration and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Okanlawon recalled that in April 2024, unrest broke out in the Iyana-Ipaja area of Alimosho, resulting in the death of one Michael Ajayi.

Okanlawon, whose committee investigated the incident, revealed that Sulaimon was found to have instigated the chaos. According to him, all stakeholders involved were summoned for questioning, but Sulaimon continuously displayed misconduct in his dealings with the assembly’s committee.

He further highlighted Sulaimon’s failure to comply with the Assembly’s directives and accused him of mismanaging public funds.

Supporting the motion, the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams, stressed that Sulaimon’s suspension would serve as a warning to other local government chairmen.

“The Alimosho council chairman has disregarded procurement processes and the budget. There have been multiple instances of misconduct, and I support his indefinite suspension,” Adams said.

Hon. Nureni Akinsanya, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts for Local Government, also backed the suspension. He cited a report from the State Auditor-General, which highlighted financial irregularities in Sulaimon’s records, underscoring his consistent non-compliance with financial regulations.

The speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the sitting, instructed the clerk, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to communicate the assembly’s resolution to all relevant authorities.