From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has condemned the illegal deduction of over N5 billion monthly from funds allocated to local governments from the federation’s account by the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and others,to immediately investigate the development it perceived as fraud.
ALGON is the umbrella body of all the local government chairmen across the country.
According to NULGE General Secretary, Chukwuemeka Aguonye, the association’s National Executive Council received reports from various states across the country about the level of corruption going on in the Local Government system under the ALGON.
He said the reports revealed that funds of various states in the federation were being embezzled under the guise of phony contracts purportedly awarded by ALGON.
Citing examples, the NULGE General Secretary stated that under ALGON, N107 million was deducted from the Joint Account Allocation meant for Ekiti State alone, while the sum of N163 million was deducted from money allocated to local governments from the federation account.
Aguonye pointed out that the money had been deducted across all the states of the federation, except in the FCT where the deduction had been stopped. He added that the impunity must be stopped immediately.
“We held a NEC meeting yesterday where we received reports from various states across the country on the level of corruption going on in the Local Government system being perpetrated under ALGON. We were told that funds of various states in the federation are being depleted with phoning contracts purportedly awarded by ALGON thereby making things very difficult for local governments.
“For example, we were made to know that in Ekiti last month, under ALGON, they deducted N107 million from Joint Account Allocation meant for Ekiti State Local Government, while that of Ondo, the sum of N163 million was deducted from money allocated to local government from federation account. Across the country it has been like that and this impunity must stop.
“ALGON cannot enter into a contract on behalf of any local government because ALGON is an association of chairmen of local governments and caretakers. NULGE frowned at this because it has affected payment of salaries, implementation of programmes and policies that would have a positive impact on the lives of Nigerian people,” he said.
The union called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to investigate and probe the alleged fraud.