Former Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to halt the payment of monthly allocations to states whose governors have established caretaker committees for local government (LG) administrations.
News About Nigeria reports that Ogbeh’s stance is rooted in the Supreme Court’s declaration of caretaker committees as illegal.
He said he believes that governors who insist on this path should not receive funds, as it would only perpetuate the mismanagement of local government resources.
The former minister said his concerns are not unfounded, as the efficiency of local governments has been severely hampered by the meddling of some governors.
He added that despite the country having 774 local government areas, the third tier of government has struggled to fulfil its mandate due to the overbearing influence of some state governors.
The calls for local government autonomy have grown louder in recent months, with President Bola Tinubu lending his support to the cause.
Currently, the Federal Government, states, and local governments receive 52.68%, 26.72%, and 20.60% of the country’s monthly revenue, respectively.
However, LG funds are paid into joint accounts operated by state governments and local governments, which has led to allegations of mismanagement and diversion of funds by some governors.
Ogbeh urged the Federal Government to discontinue this practice and instead pay LG funds directly into accounts solely operated by local government administrations.
The former minister’s concerns are echoed in his criticism of governors who appoint caretaker chairmen and divert funds meant for local government administration to questionable quarters.
He believes that the president and state governors must work together to decide the fate of local governments, which should be treated as partners in progress for the overall development of the people.
Ogbeh’s warnings are stark, stating that the failures of local governments are creating dangerous problems for the country.
He said he believes that if the LG system were functional, many social and environmental challenges would be alleviated.
