The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has committed to prosecuting any local government officials found misappropriating funds allocated from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
Speaking at the 17th-anniversary lecture of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in Abuja, Fagbemi stated that such misconduct will not be tolerated under the current administration.
News About Nigeria recently reported that the Supreme Court affirmed the autonomy of local governments, a decision aimed at enhancing governance and security at the grassroots level.
Fagbemi stated that for years, local governments in Nigeria have suffered from severe underfunding due to state governments withholding FAAC allocations, despite constitutional provisions for local government autonomy.
The Minister explained that the choice to seek judicial intervention was due to the challenges of amending the constitution through the National Assembly, a process often obstructed by political interests.
He criticised the previous handling of local government funds by state governments, which have acted as trustees but frequently misappropriated the resources.
Fagbemi warned local government officials against succumbing to pressures that might lead to the misuse of funds.
Unlike state governors, who enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office, local government chairmen and councillors do not have such protections.
He urged these officials to either utilise the funds for community development or face potential imprisonment for corruption.
He stressed that effective governance at the local level is crucial for national security, as local governments play a vital role in addressing issues like poverty and unemployment, which are the root causes of insecurity.
Fagbemi concluded by emphasising the importance of local governance in improving the overall security situation in Nigeria, urging local officials to prioritise the welfare of their communities.
“Don’t forget, the governors have immunity, the local government council chairmen or councillors, they have no immunity, so they have to choose between dealing with the funds of the local government as they like and risking going to jail. The choice is theirs (LG chairmen).
“If they want to tamper with these funds and end up in jail, it is their choice. Or if they want to write their names in letters of gold, activities like construction or upgrading of roads must return to the local government. They don’t all have to come to Abuja.
“If they stay at the local government, we will be able to reduce the level of insecurity that we have in Nigeria today. What obtains offshore is that the security agents are able to perform optimally because of information that comes to them from members of the public and usually it is from the grassroots.”
