N40 Trillion LGA Allocations: Wike, 36 State Governors To Face Legal Offensive

 

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike, alongside the 36 state governors in the country were on Sunday, January 28, 2024, charged to make public, details of federal allocations meant for local governments in their state and the FCT and the actual disbursement of the allocations to the local governments since the return of democracy in 1999.

The request came from a Lagos-based rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), which also tasked the Minister of the FCT and the 36 state governors “to promptly invite the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments in your state and the FCT since May 1999.”

It is recalled that the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari had in December 2022 posited that “If the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100m, N50m will be sent to the chairman, but he will sign that he received N100 million. The chairman will pocket the balance and share it with whomever he wants to share it with.”

However, in its Freedom of Information (FoI) request dated January 27, 2024, and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group maintained that “Nigerians have the right to know the details of actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations in your state and the FCT.

“States and the FCT should be guided by transparency and accountability principles and proactively publish information pertaining to their actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments.

“Opacity in the amounts of federal allocations disbursed to local governments in your state has continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. 

“If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel you and your state and the FCT to comply with our requests in the public interest.” 

According to SERAP, transparency in the actual disbursement and spending of federal allocations meant for local governments is fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, build trust in democratic institutions, and strengthen the rule of law.

All rights reserved. This material and other digital volumes on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK.

For advert placement, please contact thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com or 08033599492. For news coverage or press releases, call 08022717838.