The Kwara State government has declared the allegation that a sum of N300m was diverted from the local government funds as mischievous.
The State Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Arc. Aliyu Saifudden, stated this in Ilorin at the 32nd Media Parliament of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) themed, “Repositioning Local Governments for Good Governance at the Grassroots”.
Saifudeen insisted that no money was siphoned from the local government purse, saying that it was a misrepresentation of fact to hold onto such insinuation.
He explained that the N300m allegedly diverted was the remainder of the money that accumulated from the local government allocations over a period of time but was reserved for future purposes.
He added that the fund was thereafter used to augment salaries in local governments and other expenses that were incurred.
Saifudden said, “A lot of things have been said about money being diverted from the local government purse. Let me make it clear that no N300m was stolen from the local government funds.
“It was a misrepresentation of fact to have alleged that the state government has diverted money. The money they were talking about was reserved but its custody was the only issue. The funds accumulated from allocations to local governments in the state became a problem and it was used to augment salaries in local governments.”
He stated that local government areas in the state have been enjoying autonomy since the present dispensation was inaugurated in 2019.
In his remarks, the state chairman of NUJ, Abdullateef ‘Lanre Ahmed, said the independence of local government administration was required for it to perform optimally and meet the expectations of people at the grassroots.
