ENETSUD Urges Nigerians to Monitor Local Government Allocations

By Omowumi Omotosho

Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENETSUD), an anti-corruption civil society organization, has urged Nigerians to begin monitoring allocations and holding their local government leaders accountable.

ENETSUD’s Deputy Coordinator, Comrade Lanre Osho, while appearing on Diamond FM’s weekly Yoruba Language News and Current Affairs program, “Gbagede Ajoro,” which was posted on Facebook, emphasized the importance of public monitoring local government allocations.

Osho declared that anti-corruption agencies, civil societies, media, and citizens must collaborate to monitor monthly allocations to local governments. He stated, “each local government must publish monthly allocation, and people at the grassroots must demand for accountability.”

He further advised, “once you notice that a local government chairman is living above his means, people must petition Anti-Corruption Agencies to start investigating the chairman.”

Recall that on Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled that state governments are not entitled to local government allocations. Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the lead judgement, noted that the denial of financial autonomy to local governments by state governments has persisted for over two decades.

Reacting to the judgment, Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq expressed relief, stating, “most of the local governments will start paying workers and traditional rulers salaries.”

However, Osho criticized Abdulrasaq for a statement credited to him that most local governments cannot bear the burden of paying workers and traditional rulers, saying, “people should ignore Governor Abdulrasaq Abudulraman, let each local government publish workers’ overhead cost and monthly allocation.

“It is an aberration using allocation of one local government to complement allocation of another local government,” he added.

Osho called on grassroots voters to elect competent leaders who can manage local government affairs effectively and find ways to generate revenue. He also warned local government chairmen against misallocating council funds to governors, noting, “since the fund is being paid to the account of the local governments directly, Anti-Corruption Agencies will come after the council heads, not Governors.”