From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

Chairman of Owan West Local Government Council in Edo State, Gordie Aigbodion has been accused of high-handedness abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds.

A petition written to the state House of Assembly by nine of the 11 councillors of the council, alleged that the chairman on assumption of office in April last year, embarked on a spending spree without legislative approval.

They further accused Aigbodion of harassing them with thugs and also frustrating them from carrying out their oversight function, contract inflation, refusal to disclose the total income of the council and illegal deduction from the councillors emolument without their consent.

“We approved N15 million for the construction and building of the legislative arm and he built it for N28M without sending supplementary appropriation bill for the project. Most of these projects were renovation and cost of execution them where outrageous,” the councillors alleged in their petition.

They also alleged that Aigbodion’s claim that he is a barrister was not true, adding that he collected council funds to attend the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA conferences without going to any.

The lawmakers appealed to the state legislators to wade into the matter before things get out of hand.

However, the council boss in his reaction said the petition was a grand plan to discredit his administration, admitting that he was having some misunderstanding with the legislators but that efforts were being made to resolve the matter.