The new Governor of Gateway State, Prince Dapo Abiodun will be racking his brain at the moment over the May 2019 Federal Allocation to the 20 local governments in the state.
Recently, the President Muhammadu Buhari led government through Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU outlawed the meddling of states in the local government monthly allocations across the country through the controversial States’ Joint Local Governments Accounts.
According to the new financial guidelines, starting from June 1, 2019, “it becomes compulsory for all Local Government allocations to go straight to their respective bank accounts.”
The new development is presently generating a lot of controversies across the country. While the LG chairmen alongside some key stakeholders in the affairs of the local councils welcome the new move, state governors were said to be not too happy with it.
The Governors recently met with Mr President and thereafter pronounced the new financial guidelines as unconstitutional.
Back in the state, the last State Assembly at the twilight of its tenure suspended the council chairmen and indirectly placed embargo on the councils allocation. Thereafter, the Head of Local Government Administration, HOLGA were invited to the state capital where they were told pointblank the implication of tampering with the said allocation.
Gateway Times however gathered that the Council chairmen were reportedly suspended in order for them not to have access to the monthly allocation which will now be paid directly into the councils account contrary to the joint arrangement which hitherto existed between the state and the LGs and which made it easier for state Governors to tamper with such.
Information also has it that the state governor won’t be able to have access to the allocation as only elected council chairmen can access it according to the new financial guidelines.
The face-off between the Governor and the suspended chairmen is now taking toll on LG workers and other functionaries as salaries and other stipends could not be paid.
The tenure of the present LG Chairmen however ends in October 2019.
