Edo LGs enjoy autonomy, says ALGON chairman

Titus Akhigbe – Benin

Following the directive of the federal government that local governments in the country receive their allocation directly from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the leadership of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Edo state has said that local governments in the state enjoy independence from the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government.

Chairman of ALGON in the state, who is also the Chairman of Oredo Local Government Area, Jenkins Osunde stated this during an interactive session with newsmen in Benin.

Osunde stated that “let me shock you. Our governor has never touched council allocation, rather, he has always been strict on the fact that we must improve on our internally generated revenue and that is why he personally takes charge of the Joint Appropriation Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting monthly.

“In other states, it’s done at the commissioner level, but because of the importance he (governor) attaches to internally generated revenue, that is why he does it himself and the deputy governor chairs the pre-JAAC meeting.

So the federal government’s policy has not brought any new thing to us.

“We have always enjoyed our independence in our allocation and that is how it has always been. The governor takes interest in whatever is going on in the councils because he has always stated that you do what the people desire and not what you desire”.

When asked if he has paid the salary arrears of his council’s workers, Osunde answered in the affirmative, adding that “I inherited six-month salary arrears and a mountain of debts.

“But, we are left with just one month salary arrears. Since I came on board, we have always paid salary as at when due.”