The Rivers State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria has accused Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of allegedly withholding funds meant for the 23 councils iin the state since April 2024.
The state ALGON accused Fubara of mismanaging funds meant for the third tier of government and the collapse of governance at that level.
The LG chairmen said the governor’s action is tantamount to proscribing local government councils in the state, even though they supported the call by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Tony Okocha, for the State House of Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.
The State ALGON Chairman and Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Mr. Allwell Ihunda stated this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Ihunda said: “It has come to the notice of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, that the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has neglected, failed, and deliberately refused to hold the statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting, which is the prerequisite for the release and disbursement of funds due to the local government in the State Joint Local Government Accounts.
“And he has continued to withhold the statutory allocations due to the 23 local government councils of Rivers State since April 2024.
“And in the case of Emuoha LGA since March 2024 till date for no just course, thereby starving the third tier of the government of the funds required to discharge its statutory functions in the administration of the local government areas.”
Persecondnews recalls that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), in a communiqué at the end of the April meeting, revealed that the N1,123,391,000,000 total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N311.233 billion, distributable VAT revenue of N511.879 billion, EMTL revenue of N14.754 billion, and exchange difference revenue of N285.525 billion.
The communiqué further revealed that total revenue of N1,867,808,000,000 was available in March 2024, and total deductions for the cost of collection were N69.537 billion, while total transfers, interventions, and refunds were N674.880 billion.
Gross statutory revenue of N1.017 trillion was received for March 2024, a N175.212 billion decline from the N1.192 trillion received in February 2024.
The gross revenue available from VAT in March 2024 was N549.698 billion, which is N89.210 billion higher than the N460.488 billion available in February 2024.
The total distributable revenue was shared as follows: federal government N345.890 billion, state governments N398.689 billion, and local government councils N288.688 billion.
The mineral-producing states received an additional N90.124 billion (13% of mineral revenue).
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