Local government chairmen in Ondo State have accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of offering only ₦4 million of the ₦600 million monthly allocation entitled to each council.
They lamented that the governor had failed to obey the Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling, which granted financial autonomy to local governments.
According to The Guardian, one local government chairman, who craved anonymity, stated that the development had hindered their ability to perform.
Some of the chairmen, who also spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, claimed that after the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation is released, the state government compels them to return a substantial part of the funds to the Ministry of Local Government account.
The council bosses, who revealed this in Akure, the state capital, maintained that most have been reluctant to raise the issue directly with the governor for fear of being tagged as disloyal.
“We are made to return the substantial part of the funds into the Ministry of Local Government account, while we are left with ₦4 million. In the last FAAC for June, some local governments received ₦644 million, ₦590 million and ₦405 million. You can verify this from the BudgIT website.
“We are still currently under the supervision of the state government. We were told that the state government is still managing our funds due to some responsibilities, such as primary healthcare, basic education, and the funding of Amotekun,” one of the chairmen said.
Reacting, Amidu Takuro, Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, berated the council chairmen for insincerity, stating that they were aware of the arrangement.
“If anybody is not in agreement, they should come up openly. We are all under the same political party, under the leadership of somebody. What the government has been doing for them is a unanimous decision. It is not something enforced on anybody,” he said.
The post Ondo LG Chairmen Accuse Gov Aiyedatiwa Of Giving Them Only ₦4 Million Out Of 600 Million Allocation appeared first on Naija News.
