NGF Chairman: Governors Have No Right over LG Funds
Zamfara State Governor, Abdulazeez Yari
Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
Zamfara State Governor, Abdulazeez Yari on Friday in Abuja declared that governors should under no circumstances touch funds meant for local government council areas.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Yari said the matter was a constitutional matter.
He said: “The essence of joint account, to my understanding as governor, is not to hold the money, as the money is coming as the constitution spells out. That is the meaning of joint account. If it is done properly, nobody should hold any local government’s money."
Yari said he was not sure if any governor was holding any local government funds as at this moment.
"But I think what used to happen in my own case is may be if we are having a development project, we vote together on percentage basis, maybe 60-40. This is the only thing that could make a state touch the monies of local government. Otherwise, all the monies in the joint account should go to the local government. So, no one as a governor has the right to touch local government money," he added.
He further stated that there had been speculations that some states were currently holding local government money but added: "May be because there are no elections in those local government areas.”
On the state of security in Zamfara State, he said governors of front-line states namely Niger, Kastina, Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara had been making interventions with security institutions.
Yari said the five governors had met with security agencies under the leadership of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
He said: "We have made serious progress. The collaboration is on even with other paramilitary agencies like the Nigerian Customs and Immigration.”
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