By Saeed Ahmad Bappah, Gombe
Council Chairmen across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas are accused of delaying the implementation of local government autonomy following their failure to submit account details to Central Bank of Nigeria for onward disbursement of allocation to their various accounts as stated in the Supreme Court judgement.
The Chairman of the North Eastern Cooperatives Stakeholders Forum, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, made the accusation noting that only 25 council chairmen have submitted their account details to the Federal Government, despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for direct allocation of funds.
Jalo blames the chairmen for sabotaging the full implementation of financial autonomy, accusing them of undermining federal government reforms for local government.
He highlighted that “The Tinubu administration has done its best by securing a Supreme Court judgement which granted financial autonomy to local governments, but unnamed actors are hindering its progress which is very wrong to our democracy”.
“Even our constitution has clearly stated that all local government has autonomy to operate as the third tiers of government”, He added.
He said the local government’s financial autonomy will decrease the security threats being faced especially in the North West and North Eastern part of Nigeria.
Jalo praised Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State for organizing a local government summit in the state,, inviting the EFCC and ICPC to educate council chairmen on financial autonomy and avoidance of reckless spending of public funds.
He said the program was timely and needs to be sustained as the awareness can be implemented properly by the Chairmen across the 11 local government areas of the state.
He emphasized Gombe State’s commitment to supporting financial autonomy in local government administration.
Lack of cooperation from the majority of council chairmen is painted as primary obstacle to the local government autonomy in Nigeria.