Adibe Emenyonu
20 November 2008
Benin — Edo State Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and council Chairman, Esan West, Mr Felix Akhabue, yesterday revealed how councils were allegedly ripped of their entitlements by the administration of Professor Oserheimen Osunbor.
Akhabue, who led the 18 council bosses to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on a courtesy visit, gave an example of how Oredo Council, headed by Mr Nosa Ehima, was ripped of its last month's allocation as part of deductions from source.
Akhabue said, "there are records that Oredo Council had about N120 million from the federal allocation last month, but got N17 million. About N101 million was deducted at source for teachers' salary. The total number of teachers in the council is about 2,000."
He said in the last 10 months, "the deductions had graduated from N75 million to N90 million, and now N101 million deducted at source," and thanked Oshiomhole for dismissing the rumour on councils dissolution.
"we thank you for dismissing the rumoured dissolution of councils flying across the state and with this assurance, I am sure the council chairmen would be more balanced to work now", he said.
But, in his reaction, the governor assured the council chairmen that local government areas are extremely important if the state must be developed.
He said: "I joined ALGON and NULGE to protest against government when I was in the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to say that government have no right to edit the allocation or benefits that accrue to local government councils."The purpose of creating local government areas is to make governance closer to the grassroots. If government decides to treat it like that where all sorts of extortions are carried out, then the purpose for the creation of councils is defeated.
"I will join you to ensure that the rights and privileges of the councils are protected. If the poor is abandoned then, the purpose of the creation of councils is defeated. Our people went to the polls to vote for the persons of their choice because they want development."I understand that resources are often used to service political leaders and projects are initiated to service them and you keep paying protection fees. You have to stop that because they add no value to the process of governance.
I give you full assurance that I will join you to deal with such persons because; our people must be free from the manipulations of godfathers."As governor, I will not spend your money on your behalf. We will not perpetrate those things people do and then you get the blame because, you can't carry out your responsibility. "Yes, the local governments have not helped the people.
All of you in varying degrees have closed your eyes to the extortions going on. We must set our people free and nobody must live on the sweat of the poor. Agents of political parties cannot be tax collectors except those trained to do so and they must not have any political affiliation. We will not replace those disbanded with members of the Action Congress (AC) because; I think we should take politics out of this".
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