A local newspaper in Akwa Ibom, the Crest, alleged in a recent report that the chairpersons had "dared" the governor by rejecting "pilfered" allocations meant for their councils.
The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Akwa Ibom State has dismissed as "false and malicious" a media report alleging that local government chairpersons in the state rejected federal allocation over claims that Governor Umo Eno "pilfered" funds belonging to the local councils.
A local newspaper in Akwa Ibom, the Crest, alleged in a recent report that the chairpersons had "dared" the governor by rejecting "pilfered" allocations meant for their councils.
However, ALGON said no such incident occurred. It described the report as a misrepresentation of facts that could mislead the public.
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In a statement forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, ALGON said that "no Local Government Chairman in Akwa Ibom State rejected any federal allocation."
ALGON Chairperson in the state, Uwemedimo Udo, signed the statement.
Mr Udo, who is the chairperson of the Uyo Local Government Council, stated that the claim that the chairpersons would confront Governor Eno was "unfounded and illogical."
He explained that councils experienced a shortfall in federal allocation, prompting the Akwa Ibom State Government to intervene with grants to cushion the impact and ensure continuity in grassroots administration.
Mr Udo further stated that "the local government administration has been up to date in payment of salaries and entitlements of workers, including the 13th month salary in December."
He added that "it is even the governor that has assisted in the payment of the backlog of gratuity to local government retirees due to the shortfall in federal allocation for November shared in December."
According to him, "the state government has never failed in augmenting local government allocations whenever there was a shortfall, a practice that predates Mr Eno's administration."
He urged journalists to verify facts before publication.
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the publisher of Crest Newspaper, Kufre Etuk, insisted that the story was factual.
Mr Etuk posted the front page of the newspaper on Facebook.
Background
Governor Eno has repeatedly denied interfering with local government funds.
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PREMIUM TIMES in 2024 reported how the governor denied tampering with local government funds, stressing that statutory allocations are paid directly to the councils.
"Money goes to them directly," the governor said, stressing that he neither controls nor withholds local government funds.
He explained that the state only steps in when councils face revenue shortfalls from federal allocations, usually through grants to enable them to meet salary and pension obligations, insisting that such support should not be mistaken for interference.
The debate arises amid heightened national attention to local government financial autonomy following a landmark Supreme Court judgement, which affirmed that local governments are entitled to receive their statutory allocations directly from the federation account.
The ruling followed a suit by the federal government seeking to end state control of council funds and reinforce the independence of the local governments.
ALGON said the recent intervention by the Akwa Ibom State Government aligns with this legal framework and reflects support rather than misappropriation.
