The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have outlined strategic financial recommendations for the 11 local government councils in Gombe State.
Top officials from both anti-corruption agencies attended a two-day summit in Gombe, focusing on strengthening leadership skills among council officials. The summit aimed to equip them with the necessary expertise to manage their newly granted autonomy effectively, ensuring grassroots development and sustainable governance.
It will be recalled that on July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a landmark ruling affirming the financial autonomy of the country’s 774 Local Government Councils.
The ruling grants local governments the power to manage their finances, collect revenues, and allocate resources independently, without interference from state governments.
Consequently, the Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, said he convene the summit to ensure a robust, efficient, and accountable system to address the needs of the people down to the grassroots.
Voice of Nigeria reports that the state government engaged the country’s two anti-graft agencies to provide crucial insights on the responsibilities and expectations tied to the new autonomy.
According to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, the objective of the summit is to educate local government executives on financial autonomy and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle present and future governance challenges.
“Local governments are the foundation of grassroots governance. They are responsible for delivering essential services, maintaining peace and security, and fostering harmony in our communities. For autonomy to be truly beneficial to the people, we must ensure that local governments have the capacity, financial discipline, and accountability to utilise their resources effectively,” said Governor Yahaya.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, recommended that local governments should deploy technology in their administration to ensure transparency and prevent financial leakages.
He said this should include establishing a functional website, which would allow the public to monitor the activities of the LGAs, saying implementing such measures will give anti-graft agencies confidence in the transparency of LGAs and help divert their scrutiny elsewhere.
“Have your website. Upload your awarded contracts and activities so that people can follow them. Not just in your local government, but also in other local governments,” said the ICPC Chairman.
Meanwhile, the EFCC Chairman, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, lamented the mismanagement of local government funds, stating that despite the trillions of naira allocated to LGAs since their creation, the impact on grassroots development remains minimal. He urged local government chairmen to enhance their capacity and that of their staff to efficiently manage resources and rebuild public confidence in the accountability structure at the local level.
Also speaking on the topic, Combating Corruption in Local Governance: Strengthening Accountability and Financial Integrity, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, highlighted the importance of the fight against corruption, acknowledging the collective aspiration for a local government system that aligns with the needs and expectations of grassroots communities.
Mr Olukoyede said corruption entailed deviation from acceptable norms and acceptable conduct by public officers in pursuit of personal interest at the expense of public good, such as bribe-taking to deliver services ordinarily obligated to offer to members of the public, stealing of public resources through contract and procurement fraud, as well as outright embezzlement of resource through brazing sharing of public fund and others.
He said since the creation of 774 LGAs in Nigeria, statutory allocation to the LGAs has been in trillions of naira, aside from other sources in the council areas, lamenting that despite the huge allocation to the LGAs, the impact had not been felt by the people at the grassroots.
“Councils, instead of becoming catalysts for growth, have become caricatures, existing only in name,” said Mr. Olukoyede.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to local government autonomy, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented by Mr. Nadungu Gagara, stressed that strengthening local government administration was key to grassroots development.
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