Achonu Alleges Governors Divert LG Funds, Fuel Insecurity and Undermine Democracy
By Rita Onuoha
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
Former Senator and public affairs commentator, Athan Achonu, has alleged that Nigeria's state governors are withholding funds meant for local government councils, claiming that each local government has been receiving about ₦400 million monthly since the removal of fuel subsidy.
Speaking on national issues, Achonu alleged that the funds intended to strengthen grassroots governance are not reaching local councils as expected. According to him, governors often justify the spending by citing various state projects while local governments remain financially constrained.
He further claimed that despite resolutions passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives to ensure direct allocation of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds to local governments, the policy was never implemented. He attributed the failure to the actions of government officials responsible for the disbursement process.
On the country's security challenges, Achonu alleged that some governors and illegal mining interests are contributing to insecurity for political and economic gains. According to him, certain areas are deliberately left vulnerable to violence to influence electoral outcomes and facilitate illegal mining activities.
"There is no insecurity in Nigeria. The governors and the mining cartels are responsible. The areas where they don't want elections to hold because they will lose, they allow insecurity so that they can write the results," he stated.
The former lawmaker also criticized the conduct of local government elections across the country, arguing that genuine local government autonomy cannot be achieved while state governors control the electoral process.
According to Achonu, the dominance of ruling parties in local government elections reflects the absence of a level playing field, noting that in most states, local government chairmen belong to the same political party as the governor.
He maintained that true democracy at the grassroots would remain elusive unless local government elections are conducted by independent electoral bodies and councils are allowed to function with full constitutional autonomy.
Achonu's comments come amid ongoing national debates over local government financial independence, constitutional reforms, and efforts to strengthen grassroots governance in Nigeria.
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