By Christian Ogoh
AGBOR/Nigeria: The Chairman, Ika North East Local Government Council, Hon. Victor Ebonka said Delta State is among the very few states where the state government do not pilfer the local government funds.
Hon. Ebonka made the assertion Monday May 30, 2022 during the study visit of the participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.
Speaking on the theme, Strengthening Local Governance in Nigeria, Challenges Options and Opportunities, he lamented the limitations of the exercise of the power of the local governments.
“Permit me to put on record that Delta State is among the very few states where the state governments do not pilfer the local government funds but rather our governor has magnanimously, consistently and continually augmented the local government revenue allocation from FAAC without which it would have been difficult for the local government in the state to meet up with the obligation of paying monthly salaries.
“In this regard, I want to applaud our competent, politically and strategic Governor, His Excellency, Senator Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the executive governor of our dear Delta State for his strong political will and his untiring efforts in piloting the affairs of the state and most importantly the local government system.
“Okowa is indeed a trail blazer and his magnanimity has helped to free the local government councils in the state from backlog of salaries inherited from the past administration”, he stated.
While calling for full local government autonomy he said: “Lack of financial autonomy for local governments has been constrained by the provision of the 1999 Constitution which created local government and state joint account where revenues accruing from Federation Account and Allocation Committee (FAAC) are paid into.”
According to him, it was the inability to amend the constitution aimed at ensuring full local government autonomy, which he noted was long overdue.
“The local government challenges ranges from poor allocation from the federation account as the sharing formula between the three tiers of government formulated by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)”.
“It will interest you to know that all efforts to amend the constitution aimed at ensuring local government autonomy has always and/or consistently been thwarted by the various State Houses of Assembly whose input is statutorily required before its amendment could scale through,” he added.
Speaking further, Hon. Ebonka, who is also the Chairman Delta State ALGON and National Legal Adviser to ALGON, stated that the power of the LG was limited, citing a situation where the council chairmen were seen as chief security officers of their local government, saying that in practice, the security operatives take directives from their superiors.
He further stated that the councils were faced with shortage of funds for effective service delivery, saying that it was equally as a result of constitutional provision limitation to manage the motor parks, markets, radio and television taxes which he said were not enough to generate the required revenue needed.
The group from (NIPSS), was led by the Director of Studies, Professor Oluwafunmilayo Josephine Para-Mallam.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of NIPSS award of plaque to Hon. Victor Ebonka, by the Director of Studies, Professor Oluwafunmilayo Josephine Para-Mallam.
