SAN FRANCISCO, July 19, (THEWILL) – Human Development Initiatives (HDI) has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct investigation into the use of Local Government allocations and the bailout funds released to states were used.
This request was made in a petition signed by the Executive Director, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, following concerns over the dearth of infrastructural decay and poor service delivery at the Local Government level in Nigeria, despite the humongous allocations that have gone into it; particularly with regard to its inability to pay workers salary across the country and deliver the much needed development at the grassroots.
The petition referred to the reports released by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) where it was revealed that the 774 Local Government in Nigeria shared over N1.18trillion in 2015 and up till March 2016 shared N146.068billion.
“For example, in Edo State, Egor received over N1.338 billion, Ovia North East received N1.102 billion, Ovia South East received N1.177 billion, while all the 18 LGAs in the state received N19.876 billion in 2015 excluding allocations for August, September, and November 2015,” it stated.
“In Delta State, the reports further show that Oshimili South received N994.136 million, Ika South, N1.099 billion, Oshimili North received N917.714 million, while the 25 LGAs in the State shared a total of N26.219 billion for the same year.
“In Kwara, Ilorin East received N1.167 billion, Ilorin South received N1.179 billion, Ilorin West received N1.417 billion, while all the 16 LGAs shared N17.260 billion excluding August, September, and November 2015.
“In the same vein, media reports reveal that operations in many of these Local Government Areas have been grounded due to their inability to pay workers’ salaries since 2015, as against the background of over N1.18trillion allocations shared to all 774 LGAs in Nigeria and another N146.068billion shared between January and March 2016, as well as the bailout funds by the Federal Government shared earlier this year.
“Egor LGA workers in Edo state were owed 13 months’ salary. Delta State LGA worker were being owed 8 months’ salary while Kwara state LGAs are also owing about 5 month’s workers salary, among others.
“Investigation revealed that only about 60% of December 2015 salary were paid to most LG workers in Kwara State. Up till June 2016, no Local Government Legislative Council members were in office to process 2016 LG budget. The debt burden spans from 2015 to 2016 despite the huge allocations to these LGAs in 2015 and 2016.
“Unfortunately, Local Government workers affected are afraid to share credible information with Civil Society Organizations like ours, for fear of victimization despite the hardship they are going through.
“Considering the debt owed and neglect of workers, in the face of huge resources allocated to these specified LGAs, HDI therefore requests that the Independence Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), conduct forensic investigations into the utilization of 2015/2016 federal allocations and other resources by the Egor LGA, Ovia South East and South West LGAs in Edo State; Oshimili South, Oshimili Norht and Ika South LGAs in Delta State; and Ilorin East, Ilorin West, and Ilorin South in Kwara State and prosecute all acts of corruption therein.
“Finally, the organization acknowledges the fact that the commission is statutorily empowered to request and obtain relevant documents such as budget, payroll, contracts documents and so on in custody of these LGAs, which ordinarily will not be released to interested citizens.”
Story by David Oputah
