Follow Us on Google
Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
The Ogun State Government at the weekend disclosed that it augmented statutory federal allocation of Local government to the tune of N33.25billion in four years.
The Chief Economic Adviser to Goveenor Dapo Abiodun, Oladapo Okubadejo, who made this disclosure while addressing newsmen at the Aremo Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said the allegation of the suspended Chairman of Ijebu East local government area, Wale Adedayo that the Governor has been diverting LG funds, was untrue.
Okubadejo insisted that the state government under the leadership of the incumbent governor, has never interfered with how local government funds are managed in the state.
He added that the Abiodun-led administration has been providing addition funds to mitigate the insufficient allocations from the Federation Account to the LGs in the state.
Adedayo had accused Governor Abiodun of withholding the statutory Federal Allocation due to the State’s Local Governments in the last two years.
Adedayo made the allegations in a letter addressed to former Governor Olusegun Osoba, seeking his intervention on the issue.
But, Okunbadejo while dispelling the allegation insisted that LG monthly allocation from the Federation Account was not even enough to pay salaries of primary school teachers local government staff, pensions, gratuities and other frontline charges, adding that the state has been supporting local councils with additional funds to make up for the shortfalls.
Flanked by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tokunbo Talabi and the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Toyin Taiwo, at the media briefing, said that the incumbent administration administration has been carrying the burdens of local governments contrary to insinuations that the government has been shortchanging them.
He disclosed that, ‘the state does not manage the account of local government councils and does not get involved in how LG funds are being spent”
According to the Chief Economic Adviser, the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) is independently managed by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
“The Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) account is a completely separate account from the state government accounting process. It is managed and administrated by a completely different sets of staff that are involved in local government administration, that is the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
“The account and the signatories are separate from the state government accounts which automatically means that it is already independently managed. The Accountant-General and the Director of Treasury are not signatories to the JAAC account, they are managed under Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
“This JAAC allocation that comes every month is in many instances not even sufficient to cover these first line charges”, he submitted.
