Ekiti IPAC to institute a legal action against the serving 16 Local Council Chairmen in Ekiti State

Ekiti IPAC to institute a legal action against the serving 16 Local Council Chairmen in Ekiti State.

...Writes Finance Office at Abuja for the documentation of Billions of Naira already allotted to each Local Governments Areas since 2019 November.

•Despite Autonomy, we are not in charge of Local Government Funds in Ekiti State, we are just figure heads ~ Ekiti Local Government Secretary.

Following the demands of the Expenditure of Funds allocated to each Ekiti State Local Governments Areas by the Ekiti State Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), the body which is the Statutory Conglomeration of all the 18 Registered Political Parties in Ekiti State has resolved to take a further step in its agitation for a smooth running of a functional local government system in Ekiti State, as occasioned by the Autonomy given to these Local Council Chairmen by the Federal Government.

Through an investigation by the Newswatch, it was confirmed through a Secretary to one of the Local Governments who preferred anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue that: "Local Governments Chairmen in Ekiti State are not in control of the Councils monthly Allocation despite granted an Autonomy.

His words, "It is true an Autonomy has been given to LGAs in Nigeria, but here in Ekiti State, we can only see it on the Paper, watch it on the Television and hear it on the Radio, but the State Government doesn't give room for the Executive Chairmen of these Council Areas in Ekiti State to function, they don't have access to money. He goes further that, "what we are experiencing is never what we bargain for, as Chairman and Secretary of a council with autonomy, we don't have access to Local Government Funds, imagine during the Convid-19 pandemic, Local Governments Chairmen wanted to provide palliatives for their people, but Mr. Governor ordered #300,000 to be approved for each Council Chairman only, what would a Local Council Chairman do with such amount? As LG leaders, we are handicapped, we can understand the yearnings of Ekiti State IPAC, but we can only appeal to them to bear with us, it is never our fault for our inability to meet up with the demands of the people, the State Government in Ekiti is responsible for that, not the Council Leaders."

With this development, the Chairman of Ekiti State IPAC, Ifedayo Iyaniwura when contacted stated that: "Ekiti IPAC battle ready to drag the Local Council Chairmen to Court, this is following their demand for the Expenditure of Funds Allocated to each local government areas in Ekiti State. He said, "we have already written a letter to Finance Office at Abuja to make it officially available to us the amounts already allotted to each Ekiti Local Council Areas since last year November."

Iyaniwura goes further that, "the position of that Local Government Secretary who pleaded anonymity should not be our concern, Local Government is the third tier of Government now with full Autonomy, and basically for this Autonomy given to the LGAs is for our people at the grassroot to have access to dividends of democracy, the Chairmen of the LGAs in Ekiti State should then be thankful, because they can easily come to court and say it to the public that the Ekiti State Government is the one responsible for their ineffectiveness. It is just pitiable that Ekiti people haven't get it right under APC Government, even when they were cowed to submission, during the 2018 Governorship election that produced this current Government. Gov Fayemi as Chairman Governors forum, my advise for him is simply that, he should emulate some of his Governor colleagues that are upright, particularly that of Cross River State Governor, Ayade. 

Ekiti State IPAC Chairman, Ifedayo Iyaniwura

It may interest you to know that Cross River State Government conducted LGA election June 1, the elected Chairmen got inaugurated few weeks after, to the surprise of everyone, Governor of Cross River, Ayade kick-starts the Local Government with #11.38 Billion naira made available to the 18LGA Chairmen on the inauguration day, this was in full compliance with LG financial Autonomy as contained in the NFIU Act and Presidential Executive Order given in June 2019. The released #11.38billion is just an accumulated funds, after he had paid Local Council Workers salaries and other entitlements, he released this money and charged them to go and hold their respective Local Governments, vowed never to be involved in their affairs, but reminded them that they don't have immunity. Hence the need to be upright. But here in Ekiti State, Since 2019, till date, the elected 16 LGs Council Chairmen are playing hide and seek game with Ekiti money."

Iyaniwura, the IPAC Chairman stated further that: "a Letter has already been written to Finance Office at Abuja for records of money already allotted to each LGAs in Ekiti State since the inception of the Council Chairmen in Office." A letter which made available to the Newswatch writes in pursuant to the freedom of information act, demanding for the details of Local Government Allocations given all Local Governments in Ekiti State from November 2019 to April 2020.

Credit: Newswatch