Local Govt Autonomy threatened as Gov declares FG, NASS has no power to stop State, LG joint accounts
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri stated that the Federal Government and the National Assembly have no authority to dictate how local governments use their allocations.
During an interview on Channels TV’s Hard Copy, Fintiri defended the use of a consolidated account for joint state and local government projects, stating that it is entirely appropriate.
He said: “Who is dictating to the Federal Government how they spend their money? Who is dictating to the National Assembly how they expend their subvention? If the local government decides that we have a joint project, that we want to do collectively and they have budgeted for it, and they move this money into a consolidated account, what is wrong with that?”
Reacting to the recent intervention of the Senate on the matter, Fintiri added: “I think the Senate is just trying to overheat the system by trying to make themselves relevant in the present circumstances of hardship, instead of facing their job and addressing issues that concern the ordinary citizen.
“The issue of electricity tariff, the various taxes they are trying to introduce now that are before them, and the issue of oil subsidy. They are busy talking about autonomy that has already been ruled on by the Supreme Court, and nobody is against that. We are all happy to have received that.”
The Governor emphasised that since taking office, local governments in his state have been operating autonomously, and he has made public the monthly funds allocated to them.
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