Abiodun: I’ve never tampered with local government funds

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has declared that his administration has never tampered with local government funds in the state.

Abiodun stressed that he often augments the funds allocated to local governments in the state from the Federation Government to enable them (local governments) to meet their obligations.

He said these in reaction to a letter credited to the Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, alleging zero revenue allocation to local governments in the state since 2021.

The governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, said the local government funds in the state are being handled by the constitutionally recognised Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC).

Adeniran stated that the JAAC members ensure that the third tier of government gets the required allocations for optimal performance.

He disclosed that at the meeting of the committee held last week, over N5 billion was shared among the 20 LGAs, out of which over N2 billion went into paying teachers.

“Between May 2023 when the Governor was sworn in for the second term and July 2023, the JAAC shared among 20 local governments N4.531b, N4.444b and N4.497b respectively on first line charges and just last week N5.2b was shared among the local governments for the month of August,” the CPS noted.

The JAAC, according to Adeniran, comprises major stakeholders in local government administration, including the Chief Economic Adviser to the governor, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Accountant General of the State, Permanent Secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, all 20 local government chairmen, one representative from each of the four Traditional Councils in the state, representative of SUBEB, NULGE, local govt pensioners, retired primary school teachers, Local Government Service Commission, Local Government Pension Commission, and NUT.

He added: “It has the mandate to meet every month to ensure that allocations to local governments are discussed and properly presented for fund allocation.

“At such meetings, the state government makes full disclosure of the receipt from the federation account.

“First-line charges, including local government staff salaries and pensions; primary school teachers’ salaries and pensions; healthcare workers’ salaries and pensions and emoluments for traditional rulers are tabled for discussion and fund allocation at the JAAC meetings.”

Adeniran said the same pattern has been followed since Governor Abiodun took over the leadership of the state in 2019.

The Star