still deduction for monthly sanitation of N10.5m.
From Joseph Adahnu, Yola
Local Government Financial Autonomy, granted by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, has ended on papers in Adamawa state.
Sources who spoke under anonymity over this unfortunate development, pointed accusing fingers on Government for using different tactics to short change Local Governments of their resources.
They are been forced to either sponsor or contribute in sponsoring projects or programmes which ought to have been the responsibility of the state government thereby depleting their resources.
This has generated talks in Adamawa state, as citizens and stakeholders have expressed concerned over what they called “consistent depletion” of local government funds, by Governor Umaru Fintiris administration under different guise.
According to sources, Government have not only retarded development at the grassroots, but has left Local Government Chairmen with peanuts out of their huge allocations, which is grossly inadequate to take care of their council needs. They added that it has also rubbished government claim of financial autonomy to local governments in the state.
“I can comfirm to you that the so- called financial autonomy this administration granted to Local Governments started and ended on Papers. But in reality there is nothing like financial autonomy in Adamawa. Local government resources is still being diverted through various means. It is a case of giving with right hand and collecting with left hand.”
Another source, who spoke over the issue, expressed pity for the current local government chairmen in the state, stressing that many of them are crying in silence due to state government interference with their resources, making it difficult for them to executes any tangible project despite improvement in their allocations.
“Let me comfirm to you that since the commencement of monthly sanitation by this administration till date, N500,000 each is being deducted every month from the allocation of the 21 local Governments in the state, in the name of sanitation” among many other deductions so where is the autonomy? The whole thing is just deceptive.”
When contacted over the allegations, the commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mohammed Sadiq, comfirm the deductions but stressed that the amount is less significant compared to what they spend in carrying out sanitation exercise in the state.
He Added that, it is not only local governments that were being charged. Banks and individuals with big businesses are being made to contribute as part of their corporate social responsibility
”In every allocation going to them, sanitation levy is included and it is the ministry that is saddled with the responsibility of conducting the sanitation. So that levy is for the ministry to conduct the sanitation. “For instance, when you are evacuating refuse dumps in Yola town you have to hire grader, tipper among others to carry out the exercise.
”If it is 11 million Naira that is being deducted from local Government funds you know mathematically the fund is less significant to do all these jobs.
For instance, there is refuse dump in Yola town around Wurro Hausa which you know sometimes we need to get some funding from the state government to augument with the little we have”.
“Apart from the Local governments, individuals too, businesses and corporate organisations also contribute as part of their Corporateial Responsibility.”
