Despite autonomy, Governor deducts N10.5m from LGs funds monthly for sanitation
Despite autonomy, Governor deducts N10.5m from LGs funds monthly for sanitation
Tongues have been wagging in Adamawa state, as citizens and stakeholders have expressed concerned over what they called “consistent depletion” of local government funds by Fintiris administration under different quise.
This is despite financial autonomy said to have been granted to local governments in the state.
Most of those who spoke over this unfortunate development ,accused the state government of using different tactics to short changed local governments of their resources forcing them to either sponsor or contributed in sponsoring projects or programmes which ought to have been the responsibility of the state government thereby depleting their resources.
This according to them, have not only retarded development at the grassroots but has left local government chairmen with peanut out of their huge allocations which is grossly inadequate to take care of their council needs
They said it has also rubbished government claim of financial autonomy to local governments in the state.
One of the source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “I can comfirm to you that the so- called financial autonomy this administration granted to Local Governments started and ended on Papers but in reality there is nothing like financial autonomy in Adamawa.
” Local government resources is still being diverted through various means. It is a case of giving with right hand and collecting with left hand.”
Another source who also spoke over the issue said that he pity the current local government chairmen in the state, stressing that many of them are crying in silent due to state government interference with their resources making it difficult for them to executes any tangible projects despite improvement in their allocations.
He said they can’t come out publicly to complaint for feared of being removed especially when sll of them were handpicked by the government and made to become chairmen of their respective local governments.
Shedding more light on how the state government is depleting local governmen in the state, a source who also expressed concerned over the issue said,
“Let me comfirm to you that since the commencement of monthly sanitation by this administration till date, #500,000 each is being deducted every month from the allocations of the 21 local Governments in the state, in the name of sanitation” among many other deductions so where is the autonomy? The whole thing is just deceptive.”
When contacted for his response over this allegations, the commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mohammed Sadiq Mohammed, comfirm the deductions but stressed that the amount is even less significant compare to what they spend in carrying out sanitation exercise in the state.
He added that it is not only local governments that were being charged even banks and individuals with huge businesses were being made to contributes as part of their corporate social responsibility
” In every allocations going to them, sanitation levy is included and it is the ministry that is saddled with the responsibility of conducting the sanitation. So that levy is for the ministry to conduct the sanitation.
“For instance, when you are evacuating refuse dumps in Yola town you have to hire grader, tipper among others to carry out the exercise.
” If it is 11 million Naira that is being deducted from local Government funds you know mathematically the fund is less significant to do all these jobs”
” For instance, there is refuse dump in Yola town around Wurro Hausa which you know sometimes we need to get some funding from the state government to augument with the little we have.
“Apart from the Local governments, individuals too, businesses and corporate organisations also contribute as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.”
