The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Abia State chapter, has refuted claims that monthly allocations meant for local government areas in the state are being misappropriated by the state government.
Addressing journalists on Friday after a meeting held on Thursday in Umuahia, the Chairman of ALGON in Abia State and Mayor of Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Mr Chinedu Ekeke, said there was no basis for the allegations.
“We are not aware of any funds being hijacked. The state government is responsible for sharing our allocations,” Ekeke said. “Funds do not come directly from the Federal Government to the local governments. If the Federal Government were to send money directly to local governments, then one could talk about hijacking. That is not the case.”
Commenting on the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, Ekeke noted that the Federal Government was still working out modalities for its implementation. He added that, for now, funding arrangements remain unchanged.
“There is strong collaboration between the local governments and the state government. I can clearly state that the Abia State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Dr Alex Otti, has been funding the local governments,” he said.
According to him, allocations are paid into the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) accounts, from which funds are disbursed to the local governments. “The money goes to the JAAC accounts; it does not come directly to the local governments. At this time, the local governments are properly funded,” he added, while assuring that all 17 local government mayors in the state are performing their duties effectively.
Earlier, Ekeke read a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, in which the association expressed concern over recent public statements and political meetings allegedly convened by “architects of a failed past,” including some former governors and their associates. The group said such actions were driven by discomfort with the progress currently being recorded in Abia State.
The communiqué praised Governor Alex Otti’s administration for its commitment to good governance, fiscal responsibility, and service delivery, noting visible improvements across the 17 local government areas. These, it said, include road rehabilitation and construction, upgrades in healthcare and education facilities, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, clearance of salary backlogs, and prudent management of public resources.
ALGON further stressed that leadership in a democratic system is determined by performance and the freely expressed will of the electorate through credible elections, not by political declarations or pronouncements.
The association concluded by passing a vote of confidence in Governor Otti and urging that public discourse be guided by facts rather than falsehoods or revisionist narratives.
Leave a comment