Ondo LG Chairmen Expose How Governor Aiyedatiwa Forcefully Collects Their Monthly Allocations From Them
The governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been accused by some local government area chairmen in his state of corruption and high-handedness.
Some aggrieved council chairmen who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimization by governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, have revealed that the governor collects their monthly Federal Allocation of six hundred million Naira from them and gives them four million naira monthly to run their councils.
The disgruntled council chairmen pointed out that the governor is stifling development in the local council areas in the state and by his act, violating the supreme court ruling which guaranteed the financial independence of the Local Government Areas especially from the states governors’ direct influence and control.
Reacting to the claims by the unnamed council chairmen, the Ondo state commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affair, Amidu Takuro accused the council chairmen of insincerity. While admitting that the council chairmen return substantial part of their monthly allocations to the bank account of the state’s ministry of local government, he noted that the council chairmen agreed to such initiative.
He explained that the council chairmen unanimously accepted and adopted the arrangement and have since been abiding by it especially as all the local council chairmen belong to the same party as the governor. He suggested that the initiative is in the interest of the Ondo state people who have so much confidence in the state’s governor.
Amidu Takuro dared the disgruntled council chairmen to openly make their concerns known to the state’s governor rather than anonymously tarnishing the governor’s goodwill.
This allegation against the Ondo state governor comes in the face of report about states governors of the Nigeria’s federation flouting the groundbreaking supreme court ruling which granted the 774 local government areas of the Federation financial autonomy.
The LGA now receive their monthly allocations directly from the Federation Account. However, many state+governors if not all, still maintain their grip on the LGA’s of their state, thereby making the supreme court ruling specious.
