Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Imo state chapter has charged the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami to recover over N3.3 trillion local government fund misappropriated since 1999.
This was contained in a petition dated 20 August, 2020 written to the Attorney General of the Federation by the consulting firm for Imo ALGON, Crincad & Cari Nigerian Limited and signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Hon. Ngozika Ihuoma.
The firm noted that the fund in question was mismanaged by the Federal Government and State Governments across the country.
The firm which stated that it notified ICPC of observed leakages from the Federation Account through a petition in July 2016 backed its petition with the report of the Accountant-General’s of Ekiti, Delta and Ogun state Joint Local Government Account and financial statements which exposed the diversion, mismanagement and non-compliance with relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and NFIU Guidelines on Local Government Funds 2019.
The petition read in part: “We shall be ready to partner with the Office of Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to ensure total compliance with the provisions of Section 162(6) of CFRN 1999 (as amended) and enforcement of two Supreme Court Judgments which has authorized the two anti-corruption agencies – Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure accountability of funds allocated from Federation Account and States gets to LGAs for rural development, a mandate that has remained a mirage despite remarkable increase in Federal Allocation”.
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