Councillors Accuse Abia Government of Withholding LG Funds Unlawfully
- Abia councillors accuse the state government of hijacking local government allocations, leaving communities underfunded and frustrated
- Hon. Victor Ngwakwe says councillors are under pressure from constituents as they struggle to meet basic local needs without funds
- Councillors say they now rely on personal savings and donations to carry out minor community projects amid rising public anger
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Growing discontent is brewing across Abia’s local government areas as councillors accuse the state government of withholding funds meant for grassroots development.
The Leader of the 7th Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council, Hon. Victor Ngwakwe, said the situation has left local representatives unable to meet the needs of their communities, fuelling frustration and anger among residents.
Source: Facebook
Abia councillors lament starved local governments
Ngwakwe, who represents Osokwa Ward, described the hardship facing local constituents as alarming, noting that councillors were bearing the brunt of public outrage despite having no control over local finances.
He said people at the grassroots were losing confidence in their elected councillors because they had not seen tangible results since assuming office.
“Our people are not asking for much. They just want the basic things government is supposed to do for them,” he said.
“But the grassroots don’t know the people at the state level — they only have access to their councillors, who unfortunately have no funds to work with.”
Constituents lose faith over missing allocations
The lawmaker accused the Abia state Government of breaching the Nigerian Constitution and the Local Government Act by taking full control of federal allocations meant for local councils.
He said the funds were being managed directly from Government House in Umuahia rather than being disbursed to local governments as required by law.
“Everything is done at Government House in Umuahia, which is against what’s clearly stated in the Constitution. It’s only in Abia that this section of the law is implemented 100% against local councils,” Ngwakwe said.
He revealed that most councilors have resorted to using personal savings or donations from political allies to carry out minor community projects. This, he said, has made it difficult to sustain credibility and trust among residents who expect their representatives to deliver on campaign promises.
Source: Facebook
“Whatever you see any councillor doing now is either funded personally or supported by a friend or political boss,” he added.
Ngwakwe appealed to Abia residents to recognize the limitations faced by local legislators and to support calls for councils to gain direct access to their statutory allocations. He said local governments had the capacity to meet community needs if allowed to manage their own funds.
“The funds allocated to Osisioma Ngwa are enough to show that we care for our people,” he said. “But I must be clear — Abia State controls the local government money, and we don’t have access to our monthly allocations.”
Photos show crumbling Abia schools
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the former executive secretary of the National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA), Prince Paul Ikonne, had openly questioned the Abia state government’s claim of spending N54 billion on refurbishing and constructing public schools.
He described the figure as implausible and unsupported by the realities on the ground.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
