The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday advised local government councils to seek legal redress over the current state/local government joint account system introduced by state governors.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day summit orga-nised by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), on the dynamics of revenue allocations to local governments councils. Chief Ogbeh described as “unfortunate,” the interf-erence with and illegal deductions from council funds by some state governors.
Already, the RMAFC has instituted legal action challe-nging the local governments/state joint account.
Ogbeh said that the constitutional provision for the operation of joint state/local governments account sho-uld not be an avenue for local government funds to be siphoned.
Chief Ogbeh disclosed that the contemporary functions of local governments have been reflected in the newly proposed revenue allocation formula submitted to the federal government by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
He said that the removal of such burden would make more funds available for the councils to undertake other developmental projects and to enhance service delivery, adding that the issue of zero allocation to councils will become history.
The PDP chairman how-ever urged local government functionaries to explore other constitutional provisions for internal revenue generation to reduce overdependence on federal allocation.
He also called on ALGON as local governments’ mouthpiece to cultivate the habit of consultations and dialo-gue with other tiers of gove-rnment in order to bring about stability, peace and su-stainable development in the local government councils.
Earlier in his remarks, president of ALGON, Hon. Baver Dzeremo, urged local government officials to make judicious use of public funds at their disposal.
He said that it is mandatory for the council officials to apply whatever revenue is assigned to them for the impr-ovement of the electorates that voted them into power.
Chief Dzeremo also announced the official launching of the association’s national identity card scheme, saying that the scheme was in line with the vision of the new ALGON leadership to reposition the association and make it more relevant to its members. |
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