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By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Local government chairmen and chairpersons, along with their councilors, supervisors, senior special advisers, special assistants, and management staff, have come under scrutiny for their extravagant parties and the imposition of costly “Aso Ebi” uniforms on attendees. As public officeholders, they are expected to show gestures of love to their communities, but the excessive spending has generated diverse opinions.
The situation has led to some public officials being nicknamed “Honourable Kosi Nnkankan,” as they struggle with loan repayments, community hostility, and insults. Adding to their financial burdens, one council chairman reportedly planned a 50th birthday anniversary celebration and allegedly asked attendees to pay a staggering N250,000 for male clothes and N650,000 for female clothes as the uniform “Aso Ebi” for the event.
While some public officeholders from other regions, like Mushin, have engaged in study tours organized by LGNA International, providing them with future opportunities for travel, the majority of people burdened by the costly “Aso Ebi” uniforms may not have the resources to embark on such trips. The financial strain has left many questioning the ethics of using salary and allowances from the same organization to pay for extravagant parties.
The Kosofe Post sought public opinions on the matter, and the responses were resounding disapproval. Mr. Lateef Adewole condemned the act as inappropriate and an abuse of office, fostering corruption and financial obligations that could influence government contracts or benefits.
Comr Mudashiru Ismaila Alabi expressed disbelief and stated that if true, such actions should disqualify those involved from holding public office. He called for a review of the chairman/chairperson’s performance based on community feedback rather than paperwork.
Omoba Rasheed Awofeso shared economic concerns and questioned the wisdom of spending such vast sums on frivolous parties, suggesting that political status might be driving such behavior.
Rotimi Ademola expressed his outrage, questioning whether the recent federal allocations to local governments would have any tangible impact on communities when some chairmen engage in such wasteful spending.