The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen, threatening jail terms for those tampering with funds from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), gave the warning during the 17th-anniversary lecture of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in Abuja on Thursday.
Fagbemi emphasised that LGA chairmen do not have immunity and will face imprisonment if they misuse the funds designated for local development.
He stated, “The local government council chairmen or councillors, they have no immunity, so they have to choose between dealing with the funds of the local government as they like and risking going to jail. The choice is theirs.”
He further highlighted the importance of returning local activities such as road construction to the local governments to improve grassroots development and security.
“If they stay at the local government, we will be able to reduce the level of insecurity that we have in Nigeria today,” he added.
The Minister also mentioned that the federal government opted to use the Supreme Court to enforce local government autonomy due to anticipated resistance from state assemblies.
He pointed out that any state assembly speaker supporting this cause might not survive their tenure or secure re-election.
For over two decades, local government administration in Nigeria has been crippled by state governments failing to remit funds meant for local governments, Fagbemi noted.
He also urged security agents to refrain from detaining suspects beyond constitutionally allowed periods without court orders, warning that violators would face appropriate sanctions.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko at the event urged the federal government to reduce the cost of governance.
He attributed the nation’s insecurity and high unemployment rates to corruption, which he said is fueling impending protests across the country.
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