Nigeria: How Council Funds Are Siphoned - Experts

Lagos — Despite governments anti-graft crusade corruption still pervades in many LGAs in the 774 councils across the country. FRIDAY OLOKOR reports on the findings by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA/FOEN) which, in conjunction with Oxfam GB Nigeria, uncovered the avenue for misuse of funds by local governments through poor budget implementation.

In Nigeria, specifically before the advent of civil rule in 1999, corruption was seen to have rendered the nation morally depraved, made nonesense of the rule of law and stifled development thereby subjecting exemplary leadership to ridicule. But with the attempt by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo to checkmate corruption through anti-graft agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), there were hopes that it would be brought to an abrupt end, even though the agencies were said to be used for muzzling opposition.

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