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From Romanus Ugwu Abuja
Kogi youths under the auspices of Igala Youth Council (IYC) have staged a protest at the National Assembly to draw the legislators’ attention to the persistent and unlawful misappropriation of local government autonomy funds under the current administration of the state.
The youths, in partnership with all concerned civil society organisations, claimed that as advocates for good governance, transparency and accountability, they condemn the systematic diversion of funds meant for grassroots development, workers’ welfare and community advancement across the 21 LGAs of the state.
President General of the Igala Youth Council, Onogu Collins, who spoke on behalf of all Kogi State Civil Society Organisations, said that they arrived at the conclusion after conducting a case study of three LGAs, comprising Dekina, Yagba East and Adavi.
Enumerating the constitutional violation, the youths noted, “Despite the constitutional provisions guaranteeing full autonomy of local government finances by the Federal Government, the state government continues to interfere with and controls funds meant for local governments.
“This illegal practice has resulted in staggered payment of salaries to local government workers, stalled development projects across rural communities, worsened poverty and underdevelopment at the grassroots level and weakened of democratic structures at the third tier of government.”
In their demands, the Igala youths noted, “We state unequivocally that this is a direct violation of the constitution and gross misconduct and we demand immediate rectification.
“We demand an independent audit of all local government allocations in Kogi State from 2024 to date, immediate investigations by National Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and relevant federal oversight agencies, full access to statutory funds for local government chairmen, free from executive interference and stop the chairman from returning local government funds back to the state,” he said.
In the petition they sent to the leadership of the National Assembly, the youths that released detailed releases of funds urged the legislators to do an independent audit of all local government allocations in Kogi State from 2024 to date.
