You Lied on LG Autonomy, IGR, PDP Youth Tells El-Rufai

You Lied on LG Autonomy, IGR, PDP Youth Tells El-Rufai

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The Kaduna State Youth Patriotic Front of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has accused governor Nasir El-Rufai of perjury and falsehood on fiscal autonomy and sharing of 10 percent Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the 23 Local government Councils.

Addressing a Press Conference at the party secretariat in Kaduna, on Tuesday 29 March, 2016, leader of the group, Comrade Danjuma Bello Sarki, said El-Rufai did not only lied on disjoining the state and local government funds through the joint account but, deceived people that he will give the 23 local governments of the state 10 per cent of the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which he has not honoured.

According to the group, “On May 10, 2015, before his swearing-in, El-Rufai told the forum of APC Local Government Chairmen in the state who paid him a congratulatory visit, that the in-coming administration will not touch funds belonging to the local government councils of the state. He said the local government will be allowed to run the affairs of the councils without any interference.”

“Again on July 06, 2015 during the swearing-in of the last Local Government Interim Management Committees appointed by El-Rufai, he declared that he has abolished state and local government Joint Account and that he will not hold local government funds hostage for any reason. In addition to that, he promised to be remitting ten percent of the state’s internally generated revenue to the local government areas of the state. He enjoined them to swing into action and commence carrying out meaningful projects in all the wards in their councils. This was widely publicized and boosted the confidence of the people on the government,” the group said.

“However, looking into the activities of the last IMC, it is apparent that the governor lied and made fallacious promises to the people. Throughout their tenure he did not for once release the local government funds to them directly, as it came from the Federation Account Allocation Committee.”

“He has never remitted the 10 percent of the state’s internally generated revenue to the local government areas as he pledged. For the six months they served he never allowed them free running of their affairs, rather they experienced the highest level of interference like never before. They were never allowed to swing into any action or commence any meaningful projects throughout their tenure due to the “kidnap” of their funds by El-Rufa’i,” the youth said.

“It has become obvious that all the promises he made regarding local government areas during his campaigns till date were deceptive and false. Since the advent of this current democracy, the local government administration in Kaduna state has never been in a worse situation like it is today. A lot of staff have not been paid their salaries for months, even those that are paid, the payment has been irregular. As it is now, the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Kaduna State, which is the only organize voice of workers at the grass-root is about to be banned by the Governor, so as to continue to oppress and subjugate them.”

“We wish to state categorically that, the widely publicized so called local government autonomy granted by the Kaduna state government is nothing but a ruse, aimed at misleading the public in other to score cheap political goal by Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai,” the group added.

“The huge sums of money that has been allocated to the 23 local governments areas of our dear state since the inception of the APC administration has not translated into any physical development in any local government of the state. The N2.7billion Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P) funds belonging to the 23 Local Government Areas of the state left behind by the last administration has disappeared and no one is hearing anything about it.

“We hereby, challenge the government to publicly publish the monthly local government by local government details of the amount of money that has accrued to the 23 local government areas in the last nine months and that of the SURE-P funds, as a sign of transparency and accountability the professed.

“This has confirmed our position that despite the clamour for elections at the local government level by the people of Kaduna state, El-Rufai who is a direct beneficiary of democratic election is not interested or willing to allow democracy thrive at the grassroot.

“We wish to state emphatically that, no matter the number of times Local Government Administration Law is amended it will still be inconsistent with the provision of Section 1 (2) and Section 7 (1) of the constitution Nigeria, 1999.

“We are also aware that the local government funds have become the slush funds for funding the El-Rufa’i’ administration’s bogus and spurious programmes and projects.

“It is quite unfortunate that the current Deputy Governor, Arc. Barnabas Bala who was a vocal advocate of Local Government autonomy with a record of sponsoring a bill on Local Government autonomy when he was a member of the House of Representatives, has suddenly become cold and a direct accomplice in the brutal subjugation and enslavement of Local Governments in Kaduna State.

“It is very evident that the APC government in Kaduna State is terribly afraid of conducting Local Government Council elections because the embarrassing defeat that will befall it shall be monumental and disgrace. Hence, the frivolous excuses they keep giving.

“We strongly condemn the perpetual refusal of the government to conduct Local Government Council elections.

The group demands that the “change” government should as a matter of urgency change itsways directing the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission to issue Notice of election in accordance with the provisions of the Law.

“The failure to conduct local government council polls by any state government as at when due is a constitutional breach that should attract appropriate sanctions. Therefore, we call on the Federal government to withhold the Kaduna State Local government funds until a democratically elected government is in place.”

Elanza News

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  1. January 24, 2024

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