The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday began consultations with its 28 governors over alleged deductions and diversion of funds meant for local government areas.
The consultations, arranged based on geo-political zones, opened with PDP governors in the North-East.
As at 5.30 pm when this report was filed on Monday, the meeting with the North-East governors was holding behind closed doors in Abuja.
PDP governors in the North-Central are expected to take their turn on August 10, while their colleagues in North-West will face the leadership on August 12.
On August 13, governors in the South-East will take their turn, while those in the South-South and South-West will participate on August 16 and 17 respectively.
A party source told our correspondent, "We have received reports of tampering, diversion and arbitrary deduction of local government funds by most of the governors and the party is not happy about it.
According to the source, "Most of the states operate Joint Local Government Account but this is being abused by the governors."
Although the source did not name any state, it was learnt that the party had received petitions from16 states on alleged gross abuse of Joint Local Government Account system.
A most worrisome case cited by another source was the situation in Cross River State where the Chairman of Akpabio Local Government had fled to Abuja because he challenged Governor Donald Duke over what he considered as �strange� deductions from local government funds from the Federation Account.
Apart from imposing their stooges as chairmen of local government areas, some governors were alleged to have forced the council executives to swear to oath to do their bidding.
The source gave the agenda of the meeting as taking stock of funds released to the councils in the 28 PDP controlled states, as a review of the Joint Account System in each state; comparism of the actual amount released to the councils; and how to make the councils effective.
The source said, "We felt that the way we are going, we would only have redundant councils. Yet, these councils are the closest to the grass roots.�
On the legality of the meetings, he said, "It is advisory to avert crisis. Do not forget that PDP is the party in power.
"If the revenue accruable to local governments areas do not get to them, the Federal Government can invoke other provisions of the 1999 Constitution to call the governors to order but we do not want a fresh constitutional crisis.
"Whatever is agreed upon might be part of the final draft of Local Government Reforms being packaged by the Federal Government.
"We would make our position known after the consultations with the governors."
The PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had last Thursday at the National Executive Council meeting of the party in Abuja, said PDP was worried by the alleged deductions from local government funds.
Ogbeh said, �The party is aggrieved by the sheer volumes of deductions from local government accounts. Statutory deductions yes, we have no choice, but where what is left is small that these third tier administrations cannot function is an issue which we will tackle seriously whatever the cause.
�Anything, which prevents life reaching our poorest Nigerians is a grave enemy to our national survival and our party cannot stand for it.
"We do not intend to witch-hunt anyone that is why we will next week meet our leaders to discuss circumstances which are making things difficult."
The PDP chairman said discussions would hold at all levels between the party, its governors and local government area chairmen.
President Olusegun Obasanjo had at the opening of a national seminar on National Security and Development a fortnight ago also said the era of stealing public funds was over.
Obasanjo had said, "All those who are not prepared to serve people altruistically should consider going into other businesses. Local government area is not their business. They have no business seeking elective posts in the whole spectrum of our political system.
"The resources being made available to local government areas are their constitutional rights. They must not be put in any private purse or diverted by anybody or any other tier of government."
He asked ALGON to initiate a special monitoring scheme to expose its members looting the treasury.
