KDSG’s scrapping of LG joint accounts

Perform and bring real development to our state at the local government level. I am using this occasion to fulfill our campaign promise; during the campaigns we said we will not hold local government funds if elected. Therefore, I am happy to inform you that the government under our watch has formally abolished joint account […]

Perform and bring real development to our state at the local government level. I am using this occasion to fulfill our campaign promise; during the campaigns we said we will not hold local government funds if elected. Therefore, I am happy to inform you that the government under our watch has formally abolished joint account in Kaduna State, there will be no more holding of local government funds hostage under the pretence of joint account.  The joint account is constitutionally provided for and through it, local governments are supposed to finance primary, adult and vocational education; agriculture and natural resource development, as well as health services. Unfortunately, rather than serve that purpose, it has become a major source of corruption. We therefore commend the governor for taking steps to restore the status of the account, because his decision to share the money when it gets into the account is actually what governors are supposed to be doing, rather than withhold it as is the current practice. Virtually all states across the country are guilty of the offence of withholding LG funds. In most cases, the state government takes whatever it likes and sends the left over to the LGs without recourse to the law. This development has deprived the third tier of government of embarking on projects that would actually benefit the close to 70 per cent of citizens who reside in rural areas. Some state governments even retain as much as 80 per cent of the funds.  In some instances, the state governments will not even hold local government elections; instead, they put in place interim/ caretaker committee chairmen, who they give whatever they desire as allocation.  In 2012, the then president, Goodluck Jonathan, forwarded a bill to the National Assembly seeking to stop the Joint State/Local Government Accounts. The decision was informed by calls for financial autonomy to be granted to the 774 local governments in the country. The
Minister of Culture and Tourism at that time, Chief Edem Duke, who disclosed the development at an event noted that local government administration, as the arm of government closest to the people, has a critical role to play in facilitating development at the grassroots. He said, “Mr. President, in response to the calls for local government autonomy, has sent a bill to the National Assembly requesting lawmakers to stop the Joint State/Local Government Account. There is no doubt that this would grant the councils financial autonomy which would foster transparency, accountability and good governance”. Unfortunately, the bill never saw the light of the day. This development is therefore a very laudable one as the need to
Streamline LG accounts cannot be overemphasized. If rural areas are to witness any form of development, then this is the way to go. Money meant for LGs must be given to them. Only recently, Katsina State government through what it called preliminary investigation, discovered that the ADC to the immediate past governor of the state collected N680 million as security support. The ADC, DSP Shehu Mohammed Koko, was fingered in illegal financial dealings by an investigative panel constituted by Katsina State government on diversion of local government/SURE-P funds.  This is just one of the states in the country, but the same thing is happening in virtually all local governments across the country. Often times, teachers and even health workers at that level are not paid salaries, due to lack of funds. We call on other state governments to emulate the Kaduna governor, by ensuring that once the funds arrive the state from the federal government, it is immediately shared out.
That way, they will not be tempted to tamper with the money, just as it will enable LGs to set short and long term goals and strive to achieve them. We must, however, sound a note of warning to authorities at the local councils; this should not translate into growth of corruption at the third tier. The availability of more money does not mean that it can be spent anyhow. Goals must be set and projects must be prioritized. They must understand their role in the socio-economic and political transformation of the nation.