By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The Osun State Government has sounded a note of warning to local government chairmen elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), vowing to hold them accountable for any government property found missing from council secretariats across the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, who issued the warning while speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, accused the APC chairmen of allegedly looting state-owned assets while laying claim to the occupation of local government offices.

He said the state government would not fold its arms and allow what he described as unauthorised occupation and looting of public property, adding that all missing items would be accounted for and culprits brought to book.

Alimi, who maintained that the chairmen elected under the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon take over the councils through lawful means, assured residents that justice would prevail.

However, the Chairman of the APC faction of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun, Samuel Abiodun, dismissed the allegations, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated.

Reacting in an interview with The Point, Abiodun queried the basis of the looting claims, asking rhetorically, “Is there even anything to loot at the secretariats?” He insisted that no APC chairman had stolen any item belonging to government.

Abiodun reaffirmed that the APC chairmen, who were elected in 2022, remain the legitimate heads of the councils, citing a ruling of the Court of Appeal that affirmed their positions. He contended that it would take a Supreme Court judgement to upturn their mandate, asserting that Alimi had no legal grounds to challenge their continued stay in office or activities therein.