President Muhammadu Buhari fired what looked like the first salvo at state governors on Friday when he declared his readiness to probe the management of States’ Local Government Joint Accounts.
The accounts have been a source of concern among officials at the local government level, with the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) consistently backing local government autonomy during the constitution amendment processes of 2010 and 2015.
Though the bid by the National Assembly to ensure local government autonomy by cancelling the Joint Accounts was unsuccessful on the two occasions, the outcry has always been there about the mismanagement of local government funds by states.
Buhari, in his inauguration speech at the Eagle Square, Abuja, on Friday, gave clear indications that he would not fold his arms and allow governors mismanage local government funds.
He insisted that while he was ready to abide by the constitutional limits, his administration would not allow continuous mismanagement local government.
According to Buhari, while he could not directly interfere with the details of the spending of the funds, the Federal Government under him would check the massive corruption associated with the management of the Joint Accounts.
Buhari said: “Elsewhere, relations between Abuja and the states have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally, there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Accounts.
“While the Federal Government cannot interfere in the details of its operations, it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked.
“As far as the constitution allows me, I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country. For, I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch.”
He also promised that his administration would not interfere with the assignments of the legislature and the judiciary, but added that the legislature too must keep within its limits.
He also urged the judiciary to rise up to its duty of handling corruption cases expeditiously.
The president said: “To achieve our objectives, we must consciously work the democratic system. The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government.
“The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilise the system.
“For their part, the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out oversight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past. The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases, especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office.
“It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.”
NULGE reacts
Meanwhile, the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has thrown its weight behind the position of the president on the administration of local governments’ statutory allocations.
Ogun State chairman of the union, Comrade Ayuba Olatunji, and his Osun State counterpart, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, in their separate reactions, said the comment of President Buhari on checking gross corruption in local government councils was a welcome development.
“We are happy about the development and honestly, that has been what we have been advocating.
“We want the allocation of local governments to come to the grassroots directly without any interference and that will bring about checks and balances. There are excesses and leakages in the allocation of local government funds. This will deliver dividends of democracy to the people,” Olatunji said.
Adekomi, in his own reaction, said the position of the union was that local governments should have administrative and financial autonomy.
“We welcome the cheery news from the president. Autonomy for the local governments is the only way to attract development to the grassroots. We endorse Mr President’s anti-corruption stance,” he said.
Wild jubilation as Buhari’s inauguration held under tight security
The inauguration of President Buhari on Friday in Abuja was almost marred by uncontrollable activities of miscreants who took over the streets in spite of the heavy presence of soldiers, police and other security operatives.
All major points leading to the Eagle Square, the Federal Secretariat, venue of the inauguration, were fenced off by security walls built a few metres away to prevent an invasion of the venue by miscreants.
The convoy of the Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, was literally overwhelmed by the surging crowd of miscreants at one of the security blockades mounted at the FCDA junction.
Saturday Tribune gathered that at about 8.15 a.m. when the convoy of Aregbesola was stopped by the security operatives at FCDA junction, and delayed for over 20 minutes, the youth chanting “change” almost overran the governor’s vehicles.
Also, wild jubilant youths engaged in reckless driving of cars and tricycles popularly known as Keke NAPEP on the streets of Abuja.
Food vendors and sellers of memorabilia were also not allowed access to the Federal Secretariat, ostensibly to prevent security breaches.
Only those who were duly invited and had their invitation cards as well as those with genuine accreditation tags were allowed into the venue of the inauguration after they would have passed through numerous checkpoints and subjected to frisks at the main gate of the Eagle Square.
There were also reports of pick-pocketing and snatching of handsets as the mammoth crowd, prevented by security operatives from gaining entry into the Federal Secretariat continued to surge.
The situation went awry at a point around the FCDA junction when some miscreants who wanted to force their way were repelled by heavily armed soldiers.
The hoodlums turned back to throw stones at the combined team of security personnel, which included soldiers, police, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
This led to the use of tear-gas by security operatives to disperse the chaotic crowd.
