Lagos faults FG’s directive on allocation of funds to LGs

The Secretary to the Lagos State Government, SSG, Tunji Bello has expressed displeasure of the state government on the Federal Government’s directive on local government’s financial autonomy and direct allocation.

According to him, it negates the principle of true federalism as the FG has no business in the management of council funds, adding that this is the position of Lagos State Government and Lagosians on the issue.

Bello made the remark on Monday in his office while responding to a question by the team leader of the Senior Executive Course (SEC), 41, 2019 of The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, who are on a 5-day study tour to the state, Dr. Nasirudeen Usman,  Director of studies NIPSS.

Usman was speaking on the new directive on council allocations and its implication for universal healthcare delivery.

Bello said it was high time Federal government allowed true federalism to play out as it is practiced in developed countries like: United States of America, Canada, Australia, Germany, India among others.

He said: “On the issue of LG funding, I disagree with the FG because it has no business in dabbling into council’s administration, it’s unfair. It’s completely a state matter. Nigeria is running a federal system of government.

“Constitutionally, states should be allowed to run their councils because it’s not the way councils are being run in Kano they will be run in Lagos or Kwara State. Even, the way Mushin LGA will get run in Lagos is not the way Surulere or Apapa council will be run because they run on different terrain. States should be allowed to determine their councils’ funds

“FG should give each state the council fund for appropriate deployment of the fund with proper monitoring mechanism.

“This is one of the problems Nigeria is facing today. In a true federalism there are responsibilities to be left in the hands of the states to take charge.

“Even the issue of policing should be managed by the states. And if the issue of insecurity in the country must be quickly and effectively tackled, the states must take off with state policing.

“The Armed forces, including the Police are overburden, they are overstretched. It’s high time we looked at these matters and address the issues squarely in the interest of Nigerians in the long run,” Bello said.

Last week the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) issued new guidelines on direct allocation of funds to the local government without the interference of the states.

The spokesperson for the NFIU said with effect from June 1, any bank that allows any transaction from any local government account without the funds first reaching a particular local government account will be sanctioned locally and internationally.

And that the Joint Account System in place will only exist for the receipt of allocations but not disbursement, according to the guidelines.

All financial transactions by local governments will be registered and monitored by the NFIU through e-payment module.