Yemisi Adeaga, president general of the apex Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, has revealed how efforts to blackmail him into submission failed.
Adeaga, who is seeking second term in today’s election, made this known in a reaction to allegations of administrative and financial appropriation against him.
The Board of Trustees
Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII)
Ibadan House,
Oke Aremo,
Ibadan.
RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MISAPPRORIATION
AGAINST MY GOODSELF (PRINCE OLUYEMISI A. ADEAGA), AUTHORED BY DR. T.A.G OLADIMEJI,
BAALE ALAMU OLOYEDE, BALOGUN GAFAR OJETOLA, MOGAJI NURUDEEN AKINADE, MRS OLAIDE IDOWU LAWAL AND ALH LATEEF GBADAMOSI.
1. I offer my sincerest appreciation to the Almighty God who bestows me with the grace to respond to the allegations raised by the above-named persons (the Petitioners). I must express gratitude
towards the petitioners for bringing forth these allegations, as it avails me the opportunity to
address them with utmost transparency and honesty, utilizing a confident tone.
2. It is imperative to state that the allegations are manifestly false, and a figment of the petitioners’
wild imaginations. To my mind, these allegations have been concocted to discredit my person and
my intention to run for a second term in office as President General of the Central Council of
Ibadan Indigenes – CCII. Unfortunately for the petitioners, whom I now consider as distractors
and enemies of progress of CCII and Ibadanland, all their allegations are vehemently denied and none holds water as will be seen in my detailed response to each allegation below.
3. Indeed, I did not wish to dignify my accusers and blackmailers with a response as that would amount to wrestling with pigs and lowering the status of the esteemed Office of the President General of Ibadan Indigenes worldwide. The Executive under my leadership has followed the tradition, past legacies and Constitution of CCII in rendering progress of activities, achievements and constraints of the CCII on annual bases to all CCII Affiliate Clubs at the Annual General Meetings. This also includes state of finances, income, expenditure and auditor’s report as well as proposed activities and budgets for the coming year. Therefore, anyone calling for rendition of achievements of the CCII under my leadership to any outside establishment not known to the CCII Constitution is mischievous and not deserving of my valued attention. As a matter of fact, I did not inherit this legacy from my predecessors.
4. Before I set out my response, I consider it important to address some of the personalities who
have constituted themselves into petitioners against me and the basis of their campaign of calumny. DR. T.A.G OLADIMEJI and BAALE ALAMU OLOYEDE currently serve as 1st Vice President General and 2nd Vice President General in the CCII administration respectively. It is thus surprising that they would author a purported petition against an executive team that they form a part of and have sat in at least 18 monthly executive meetings where neither of them has raised any challenge or queried my administrative style and leadership of the CCII.
The VPG1 and VPG2, at the inception of this administration, requested that the Executive
members should be renumerated and given sitting and transport allowances. However, they were referred to Section 7.0 – SPECIAL CLAUSE which prevents the Executive Members from this type of renumeration. Apparently, this did not go down well with them. This is the basis for their anonymity with the President General.
Specifically, Baale Alamu Oloyede is in charge of Guest Chalet Project, Iftar Committee, Ibadan
Empire/Kiriji War Celebration and Chairman, Youth Development and Empowerment Committee,
which covers the Scholarship Award Sub-committee. To date, Baale Alamu Oloyede has not secured or procured any donations whether in cash or in kind for CCII or towards any of the
projects that he directly supervises. He has however been directly involved in the procurement
of materials, disbursement of funds and general supervision of the Guest Chalet Project together
with Architect Olawale, Architect Kunle Taiwo (Architect Olawale’s employee) and who is being paid a monthly salary of N60,000 by CCII to supervise the Chalet Project. The Guest Chalet Project is the principal expenditure project of the current administration. From July 2021 to date, the total sum of N12,505,712 has been expended on the Project, under the direct supervision of
Baale Alamu Oloyede.
Dr. T.A.G Oladimeji is in charge of the supervision of wall portraits of heroes. He recommended the
artisan who agreed to provide inscription on the slabs for existing portraits at the sum of
N600,000, out of which N300,000 was paid to the contractor in July 2022 at the instance of Dr. T.A.G Oladimeji. However, the job was not done and he has not produced the said artisan to date.
GAFAR OJETOLA was part of my campaign team during the 2021 CCII General election. Based on the relationship I believed we fostered, I recommended his appointment as Chairman of the 2022 Ibadan Cultural Festival Committee However, he became generally unmanageable as he apparently believed that he was as powerful even if not more powerful than the executive he ought to be accountable to. He refused directions from the executive committee and made procurements without recourse to the Executive. He once made procurement to the tune of N1.1Million without the approval of the Executive. His excesses came to a peak during one of the emergency meetings held to review the program of the events, on the eve of the 2022 business luncheon program. The meeting was held at the office of the President General in Ibadan House and attended by Gafar Ojetola and members of the Executive. At the meeting, he became visibly unruly, called me unprintable names and insulted those who cautioned him, especially, Pa. Gbadegeshin Adelabu (the Treasurer). Not only did he attempt to attack me physically, he also unlawfully detained all the Executive members present in the PG’s office, including the co-petitioners VPG 1 and VPG 2 for many hours till early in the morning of the following day. To forestall any embarrassment to CCII, I was able to curtail his excesses and the matter was resolved days later.
Ojetola was more interested in expending monies without having a pre-approved budget or
verified expenditure by the Executive. As a result, most of the expenditure incurred by him towards the program were approved in arrears without checks. Total revenue from the 2022
Ibadan Festival was N43,869,600. while the total expenditure was N31,469,020. (out of which
N6,000,000 was earmarked as donation towards the procurement and installation of solar
inverter at Ibadan House). This leaves a balance of N12,400,580 in CCII’s account.
It is on record that Gafar’s misbehavior and excesses during his tenure as Chairman of Ibadan Festival Committee, prompted the Executive Committee to decide at the meeting held on 24 November 2022 that no Chairman of subsequent Ibadan Festival will be allowed to sit or
contribute in the meeting of the Executive Committee, or to be added to the Executive Platform. Although I did not attend the said meeting as I was outside the country on holiday, the meeting was chaired by Dr T.A.G Oladimeji with Baale Alamu Oloyede in attendance, who hold themselves out as the co-petitioners herein.
One thus wonders why Gafar Ojetola and his co-petitioners would allege any impropriety against my good self if not for mischief and promise of pecuniary gain from their co-conspirators.
5. AN OVERVIEW OF CCII FINANCIAL STATUS AS AT JULY 2021
When I assumed office as President General of CCII on 2nd July 2021, the total cash amount
standing to the credit of CCII was the sum of N556,000 (Five Hundred and Fifty-Six thousand
Naira) in all the CCII bank accounts. However, the audited Financial Statement of the preceding
year, 2020/2021, revealed a supposed total deposit sum of N16Million.
In the handing-over note of my predecessor Chief Yemi Soladoye, it is expressly stated that a sum less than Six Hundred thousand Naira represented the total cash in the bank handed over to me. He
also noted that the sum of N5Million Naira was being expected, out of which N4Million had
already been earmarked for settling of expenditures already incurred by the outgoing
administration. I also inherited pending jobs on portraits, estimated to cost about N1Million.
Hence, the cumulative sum of infrastructural debt was approximately Five Million Five Hundred
thousand Naira. Thus, it was very clear from the inception of my administration that there was a
dearth of physical cash to serve as take-off capital for my administration.
In more general terms, the annual records of payment of dues by clubs shows that not more than a hundred clubs pay their dues each year. This has been the case for the past decade. If the annual subscription is calculated at the sum of N50,000, the realizable income per annum is N5,000,000.
However, the sum paid by each club is divisible into two parts of Twenty Thousand Naira
representing annual dues and Thirty thousand Naira as Ibadan Week Celebration Fees. The
implication of this is that the total expendable revenue for the maintenance of the organization as contributed by clubs amounts to N2Million, while N3Million goes for funding the annual Ibadan Cultural Festival.
The monthly overhead cost for staff salaries is about N530,000. Thus, taking into account the
anticipated expendable income of N2,000,000 to the overhead cost of salaries and allowances,
one would observe a deficit of N4,000,000, for the payment of salaries per annum. This deficit is without recourse to other overhead costs such as the cost of general maintenance, capital
projects and other administrative expenses, like servicing of meetings of committees, general assembly meetings, executive committee meetings, stationeries, building maintenance,
servicing of generators, fuel cost and other consumables. On the average these costs come to
about N16M. It is thus evident that several donor appeals are required to meet the basic costs and other development programs of CCII.
All the aforementioned factors are crucial to comprehend, the critical efforts being made to
bridge the significant areas of fund deficiency to sustain the organisation.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, I have set out below my response to each of the allegations raised by the Petitioners below:
6. ALLEGATIONS
(I). Inauguration Ceremony
In regard to the Inauguration Ceremony, the purported income and expenses disclosed in the preceding petition is not only fanciful and fictitious, but also diverges a gross exaggeration. The
actual sum derived from the inauguration ceremony was N16,908,500, while the expenditure
incurred amounted to N5,747,300, thus resulting in a surplus of 11,161,200. It is imperative to
state that the inauguration committee was chaired by Dr. T.A.G Oladimeji. All income derived from the event was remitted to the CCII bank account and was duly incorporated into CCII’s annual financial statement for the fiscal year 2021/2022, which was duly ratified and sanctioned by the General Assembly during the annual meeting held in August 2022.
(ii). Ibadan Festival Week 2022
As stated above, the Ibadan Festival Week 2022 was chaired by Gafar Ojetola, Contrary to the position presented in the petition, the total earnings realized from the event was the sum of N43,869,600. while the total expenditure was N31,469,020, leaving the sum of N12,400,580 in
CCII’s account after the event.
Gafar Ojetola had presented to the Executive Committee that there were pledges made towards
sponsorship for the event, but there is no record of how much was pledged and who pledged what. However, no said pledges have been redeemed till date. This position was presented by Alhaja Simiat Adeleke Larodo who was appointed as the Chairperson of the Pledge Recovery Sub-Committee for the 2023 Ibadan Cultural Festival Committee. This position can also be confirmed from the minutes of the Ibadan Cultural Festival Committee reports.
(iii). Pa Bode Amoo 90th Birthday Celebration.
The celebration committee was chaired by Professor Soji Adejumo. I understand from the report of the committee that a sum of about N4,500,000 was recorded as excess of revenue over expenditure from the event. Based
on the instruction of Pa Amoo, the sum was to be utilized as follows:- the sum of Five Hundred
Thousand Naira will be channeled towards the funding of scholarships, while the sum of Four
Million Naira will be allocated to the establishment of CCII online radio station and studio.
The N500,000 is already added to the Scholarship fund Account, while the sum of N4,000,000 is in the CCII
Account as the preliminary processes for the establishment of the radio station is currently underway.
(iii) Olubadan Coronation
Regarding the Olubadan Coronation cloth sale, the narrated process is simply a routine one. The Social Secretary provided her report on clothes sold and duly gave updates to the Executive Committee. It was agreed that the excess monies be remitted to the CCII account and same was used to defray part of the expenses incurred during the coronation ceremony. This is the norm and practice for such inflow and this can be confirmed from the financial records which shows that a total sum of N2,183,200 was expended by CCII during the coronation ceremony.
(iv). Ibadan House Leaking Roof
As regards the Ibadan House, the statement made is not only misleading but also grossly inaccurate. The issue of roof leaks and related challenges had been a persistent problem even before I assumed office. My administration has, however, made numerous concerted efforts, including engaging the services of Arc. Kola Olawale, in resolving this issue.
To date, we have expended the sum of N90,000 towards roof repairs but the problem has not entirely abated.
(v). Olubadan Guest Chalet
Further to my statement above, the Guest Chalet Project was put under the direct supervision of Baale Alamu Oloyede together with Architect Kunle Taiwo (who is Architect Olawale’s
employee).
It is important to note that at the time my administration came onboard, the Guest House was only a “carcass” i.e., it was not in a habitable condition. Only the block framework had been
completed and roofed with about 50% plastering of the external walls done. Consequently, the
following were visibly outstanding works yet to be carried out on the building: completion of the
external wall plastering, plastering of all internal walls, installation of all POP ceilings, installation
of all plumbing pipes, toilet and bathroom facilities, construction and installation of all corridor railings, laying of all wall and floor tiles, including external wall fancy tile mounting, wiring of the entire facility, electrical fittings, completion of the soak away vault, installation of the overhead tanks and tank scaffolding, construction of the external spiral staircase/emergency escape, construction of the culvert at the main entrance, completion of the interlocking and flooring in desirable parts of the project, installation of Aluminum windows and burglar proof, external and internal doors, wall screeding and painting, construction of the main entrance culvert and other minor jobs.
All of the foregoing listed have been completed except: electrical fittings, internal doors screeding
and painting.
Contrary to the spurious allegations levelled by Baale Alamu Oloyede, 2nd VPG and his co-petitioners, it is on record that Baale Oloyede has been personally responsible for purchasing of
the materials for the project. Evidence shows that Baale Oloyede was raising vouchers in his
name for the procurement of the materials or recommending artisans, vendors and contractors
for the works to be done. On more than two occasions, the remittances were made directly into
his personal account. It is also important to stress that the electrification works which were
earmarked for IILECAN, one of the constituent clubs of CCII, was coveted by Baale Oloyede, which shows that he was the main unquestioned driver of the project.
(vi) Scholarships
Again, the allegations made by the petitioners are manifestly false and a concoction from the
mischief makers. My predecessor, Chief Yemi Soladoye, in his handover note, had indicated a seed capital of N1,500,000 in the scholarship account. However, as stated above, there was no corresponding cash in CCII bank accounts to back up the special deposit. As such, it is absolutely false that I received the sum of N7Million as balance in the Scholarship Account.
While it is correct that His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde donated the sum of N10Million
Naira towards the Scholarship fund, N1Million from Chief Taiwo Akande, N500,000 from Pa Bode
Amao’s birthday and N60,000 from Mogaji Latoosa, the actual amount in the Scholarship Fund is
the sum of about N11,560,000.
It is on record that Baale Alamu Oloyede as VPG 2 is in charge of Youth Development and
Empowerment. He was responsible for constituting the Scholarship Sub-Committee in February
2022, with Mrs. Falilat Adejare as Chairperson and Dr Tunmise Adeagbo as Secretary. I was aware that the Scholarship Committee called for applications for the scholarship scheme in March 2022. Out of about 1000 applications received, the sub-committee recommended about 58 indigent
students for scholarships awards.
At the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 24 November 2022, the members of the Executive Committee requested for their individual quota in the scholarship award. Although I
was not at the said meeting for reasons earlier explained, on my return, the matter was reexamined. Names of beneficiaries that were traceable to some Executive members’ immediate
family or relatives for the scholarship award were removed from the list.
Ultimately in December 2022, the Executive Committee approved the award of scholarship to 34 indigent students as the first batch, out of which 8 students were nominated by the members of the Executive Committee. The scholarship was disbursed to the students in January 2023. I am not aware that Mrs. Falilat Adejare resigned her appointment as Chairperson of the
Scholarship sub-committee. There is no requirement that scholarships should be disbursed to all recipients at the same time. As such, the decision to phase the disbursement is not in any way to sideline the recipients or the sub-committee members. It is common knowledge that there was a prolonged ASUU strike from February to November 2022. The ASUU strike contributed significantly to the delay in the award and approval of the scholarship recipients. The current balance in the Scholarship Fund is N6,516,500.
(vi). Intervention Fund for Olubadan Palace Building
The Federal Government’s intervention in the Olubadan Palace building construction is the
constituency project of our distinguished Senator, Dr. Kola Balogun. However, CCII did not receive
any official communication regarding the cost and details of the first project, which was reported to be in the value of Fifty Million Naira. Neither was there any disbursement of funds into the CCII accounts from the intervention nor any CCII related account.
Following notifications to the Olubadan’s Palace, His Imperial Majesty approved the contractor’s access to the work site. The Olubadan-in-Council together with CCII Executive met with the
contractor on two separate occasions, to discuss the scope of work under the project. The Contractor was nominated by Senator Kola Balogun without any input from myself or the CCII Executive Committee. Unfortunately, the contractor failed to complete many of the jobs he initiated and earmarked for completion.
With respect to the second project, which entailed the construction of the Palace Gate, the process was similar in nature to the first. No funds were paid into the CCII account. Our
intervention was solely to regulate access to the site.
(vi) Failure to hold Statutory Meetings
This allegation is not true. The main statutory meetings of the CCII are the meetings of the General Assembly, Executive, Consultative Forum, Board of Trustees and Annual General Meetings. All constitutionally provisioned meetings were and are still holding as and when due.
6. Final Note
I wish to state for the completeness that all along, the petitioners championed by Gafar Ojetola and Nuru Akinade have been the ones seeking to malign my person and sow the seeds of discord
in my Executive Committee, albeit unsuccessfully. It stands to reason that out of 15 members of the
Executive Committee in the current administration, they have only two members of the
Executive Committee as signatories to their concocted petition. Evidently, the cause of these dissenting members can only be self-serving and does not represent the depth of the leadership that I provide to the CCII.
To set the record straight, it is not true that I was unable to defend myself or that I was implored or advised to withdraw my second term bid, at the christened amicable settlement meeting held at Prelate Ola Makinde’s house. This is a complete distortion of the purpose of the meeting and the
resolutions made by the respected elders present. Rather, the meeting resolved that Gafar and
his team should desist from social media campaigns of calumny and focus on issue-based
campaign for their candidate. Despite this, Gafar and his team have failed, refused and or
neglected to desist from their attacks on my person, all aimed at blackmailing me into dropping my bid for re-election. This I find to be rather disappointing, displeasing and manifestly unfortunate.
I must stress that I am fully committed to upholding the principles of transparency and
accountability in all my dealings as a member of the CCII. Thus, I have consistently emphasized
that anyone with allegations or concerns should channel them through appropriate means and procedures. This ensures that all claims are made under oath, and that the necessary legal and
ethical frameworks are followed. It has been a disheartening experience for me to endure the aspersions of these individuals and
their co-conspirators who have been spreading false and defamatory allegations against me,
many times on social media and this has lasted for the past few months. Despite my
unwavering commitment to integrity and transparency in all my dealings, these individuals have been propagating slanderous accusations with reckless abandon, causing undue anguish and reputational damage. It was particularly disconcerting to witness their unabashed boastfulness, as they persistently maligned my character and reputation. Nevertheless, I find solace in the knowledge that their claims have been unequivocally revealed to be baseless, as set out herein.
I will continue to work closely with other members and stakeholders of CCII, to ensure that the
organization remains a shining example of good governance, accountability, and excellence.
Sirs/Ma.
Thank you for the patience of going through this piece and faithful disposition to Ibadanland.
Yours faithfully,
Prince Oluyemisi Adetayo Adeaga JP
President General
Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes
