KADUNA (Sundiata Post) – The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) has urged the local government Chairmen across the federation to collaborate with their citizens to ensure accountability in the management of funds to fast-track grassroots development.
Mr Isaac Abrak, Chairman of NCYP, made this known in a statement issued on Monday in Kaduna.
Abrak commended the landmark move to ensure the direct transfer of local government revenues from the Federation Allocation Account Committee into their bank accounts.
He said: “This development aligns with the Supreme Court’s historic judgment of July 11, 2024, which affirmed the financial autonomy of local governments, upholding the Federal Government’s suit to enhance their independence.
“NCYP findings, corroborated by a report from the Nation newspaper, reveal that a dedicated unit within the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has been established to oversee the direct disbursement of funds to the 774 local governments across Nigeria.
“As this financial autonomy takes effect, NCYP expresses concerns about the preparedness of local government council chairmen to effectively manage these funds and the readiness of grassroots communities to collaborate with their councils to ensure these resources are optimally utilized for development.
“NCYP highlights that many local government councils are unaccustomed to managing significant funds independently.
“To avoid inefficiencies and misuse of resources, it is essential to establish synergy between council leaders and the people.”
NCYP also urged the local government chairmen to organize town hall meetings to engage their communities to identify priority projects that meet the most pressing local needs.
It also called for transparency and accountability in order to provide regular updates on the utilization of funds to foster trust and collaboration with their constituents.
It further urged the citizens at the grassroots to forums to collaborate with their councils to monitor allocations and expenditure.
It added that local governments should be held accountable also citizens should demand for transparency and ensure resources were effectively used for community development.
Abrak also advised the civil society organizations and advocacy groups to step in by organizing sensitization programmes and town hall meetings to educate citizens on their role in holding local governments accountable.
“Furthermore, we urge financial regulatory bodies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to establish dedicated units to monitor fund utilization and prosecute offenders.
“The National Orientation Agency (NOA) also has a critical role in reorienting local government councils and grassroots communities on the importance of these funds for grassroots and national development.
“While we commend President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the committee led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief George Akume, for their dedication to implementing the Supreme Court judgment.”
“We call for periodic training workshops focusing on budgeting and the use of modern IT tools.
“It is imperative to emphasize to council chairmen the importance of publicly disclosing their budgets, as this will not only enhance effective governance and accountability at the grassroots but also protect them from false accusations or political blackmail,” Abrak said.
The chairman equally commended the state governors for their support of local government autonomy, emphasizing that the essence of the autonomy was to drive grassroots development and not to impose a burden on them.
“It is crucial for local government chairmen to exercise prudence and resist mismanagement of funds as reports of chairmen appointing excessive aides, such as over 100 in some cases, raise concerns about frugality and the proper use of resources,” he added. (NAN)
