IBADAN-Governor Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State on Tuesday came under severe attack from the State Chapter of the All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP] as
it described the deductions from the statutory allocations of the local governments in the state as abnormal and uncalled for.
The party in a statement issued and signed by its Publicity Secretary , Mr. Wale Olatunji and made available to newsmen said that the deductions was under the “guise of executing unsolicited joint projects” and had denied the local governments of funds to execute populist programmes.
It noted that “this illegal practice has stifled the growth and development of the council areas in terms of provision of social amenities, which would have stemmed the rural-urban drift”.
The ANPP cited the N300 million that is accruable to each local government from the excess crude oil accounts, where the governor released only N150 million to each of the councils after much pleading by their chairmen.
According to the party ,” the adverse consequence of these incessant deductions is that the local governments have been rendered prostrate as they can no longer execute their statutory programmes .”
“ The governor’s penchant for making illegal deductions from local governments funds in collaboration with chairmen, have left the councils with paltry sum only enough to pay salaries,” it added .
The governor, the party alleged , took the level of absurdity to all time high recently when he approved the purchase of 66 exotic cars for the chairmen and their wives.
“By this gesture, the local government “first ladies” now cruise around in new KIA cars allegedly bought from the statutory allocations meant for the provision of essential needs of our people”.
The party alleged that tenders’ board has been rendered irrelevant in the inglorious pursuit as all the purchase were now being made with executive fiat without a modicum of due process adding that the state government now deducts fund for environmental sanitation exercise” whereas the cities are as dirty as ever.
It stated that as far it concerned , “ the Joint Allocation Account is a fraud and an avenue for the diversion of the local government statutory allocations.
The party therefore called on Economic and Financial Crimes Commission[EFCC] to investigate the 33 local governments as this would definitely reveal themind boggling sleaze.
But in swift reaction ,Special Adviser to Governor Alao-Akala on Public Communication, Prince Dotun Oyelade described the “ANPP as professional rabble rouser” that should not be taken serious .”
He stated that the Joint Allocation meeting usually holds once in the month during which time Council Chairmen bring an array of estimates of intended projects.
According to him, “ While the Governor would vet these projects, it must always be realised that the constitution allows individual Local Government Council to enjoy a measure of fiscal independence.”
|
