BENIN CITY – THE heads of local government administration (HOLGA) under the name LGA Forum on Sunday said that the allegations by the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) against Governor Godwin Obaseki of perpetrating corruption and illegality in the Councils was mischievous and a display of ignorance of workings of the local government administration in the state.
The body noted that through Gov. Godwin Obaseki’s ingenuity, there has been an increase in the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the councils which they said has improved governance in the third tier of government.
In a statement endorsed by the Chairman of the Forum, Desmond Imonike, (Etsako East) Local Government, Ahonsi Mathias, (Ovia North East) and Shaibu Ekha Ademola, (Owan East), made available to journalists in Benin City, the Forum condemned the statement by the state NULGE chairman, Mr Lazarus Adorolo who alleged that Obaski was strangulating the councils.
They said that the State government has not deviated from the established process of sharing federal allocation and other sources of revenue to the 18 Councils.
The statement said that contrary to Adorolo’s position that the Councils were not involved in revenue sharing, they participate fully in the Pre Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meetings and the actual JAAC meetings.
It said “First and foremost, we the helmsmen at the 18 local governments participate fully in both the pre JAAC and actual JAAC meetings where the proceeds of the Federation Accounts due to the 18 local governments are shared amongst us.
“At such meetings, there is always a robust debate before decisions are reached and the money distributed accordingly.
“The State Government does not introduce any extraneous factor in the sharing outside what is permitted by law.
“On the issue of ten percent internal revenue generated by the state government being added to sharing, it is strange because subsequent governors from Igbinedion to Oshiomhole have never shared such among Councils.
“We are baffled and cannot explain why the state president of NULGE would single out the Obaseki administration as a culprit, this beats our imagination.
“Since April 2021 and due to the Obaseki Administration efforts at repositioning the Councils, salaries are regular and efforts are on top gear to settle the backlogs,” the statement declared.
While noting the decline in revenue accruing to the Councils from the federation due to present economic crunch, the forum called on Adorolo to mobilise his members for revenue drive to improve IGR.
