Withhold LG funds, govs arm-twisting chairmen – Ohanaeze to Tinubu

The apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday, called on President Bola Tinubu to withhold funds meant for local governments in Nigeria due to the actions of state governors.

The body said state governors are arm-twisting local government chairmen over council funds.

A statement by Ohanaeze’s factional Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, described the actions of the state governors as an egregious affront to our democratic principles and the rightful autonomy of local government councils across Nigeria.

According to Isiguzoro: “This statement follows the alarming revelation that the governors of our esteemed federation have colluded to subvert the very resources meant for the upliftment and development of our grassroots communities. These actions not only degrade our cherished democracy—they are a direct assault on the dignity and rights of the Nigerian populace.

“It is a tragic irony that these custodians of our collective governance are using their offices as instruments of oppression—effectively brutalizing the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and sapping them of their financial independence and operational integrity. The recent judicial mandate by the Supreme Court, which unequivocally granted full administrative and financial autonomy to local councils, is being flouted with impunity. Such conduct is a derision of the foundational tenets of our democratic framework, which relies on the co-equal functioning of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of government.

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“Ohanaeze Ndigbo cannot remain silent in the face of this monumental fraud being perpetrated through the brazen manipulation of the local government system.

“The imposition of puppet chairmen, the controlling influence exerted via state-run electoral commissions, and the alarming emergence of legislation aimed at circumventing Supreme Court decisions are assaults that must be met with resolute resistance. The recent actions of the Anambra State House of Assembly, culminating in the passage of the ‘Anambra Local Government Administration Law 2024,’ serve as a glaring example of this legislative madness. This law seeks not to empower local governance but rather to entrench a system of coercion, compelling local governments to remit federal allocations to accounts beholden to state authorities.”

Ohanaeze expressed deep disappointment that such a regressive and condemnable agenda could originate from a Southeast governor, specifically Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State.

“We call upon him to act swiftly to withdraw this reprehensible and unlawful bill, which stands as a direct threat to the autonomy and operational capacity of our local governments. We significantly caution that signing this bill into law could irreparably damage his prospects for re-election in the forthcoming 2025 gubernatorial elections of Anambra State.

“We implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action by withholding local government allocations from any state that persists in these unlawful practices commencing from October 2024. We envisage a Nigeria where federal allocations designated for local governance are protected from the grasp of governors seeking to exploit them for personal or partisan gain.”