Ayo Fayose, The former Ekiti State Governor, has voiced apprehension regarding Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling that upholds the direct allocation of monthly funds to local governments from the federation account.
The Peoples Democratic Party chieftain stressed that even with the court’s ruling, state Houses of Assembly and governors will persist as barriers to local government autonomy.
Fayose made these remarks during his appearance as a guest on Sunday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Highlighting that no grassroots candidate can become a local government chairman without the governor’s backing, the Ekiti politician asserted that neither the court nor the federal government can “separate the baby from the mother.”
He stated, “I am not a lawyer; I am a politician, and by God’s grace today, I am an elder statesman. While I strongly oppose any government taking local government funds, let me make it clear to you tonight that you cannot separate the baby from the mother. No one can become a council chairman without the support of a governor. Anyone suggesting otherwise is simply wasting their time.
“Let me quickly remind you that the State House of Assembly oversees and monitors the activities of the local government. During my tenure as governor, I had the responsibility of receiving funds from Abuja. Once the funds are received into the account, they are managed by individuals who are not politicians or council chairmen.”
“There is only one representative of the governor, who is the local government commissioner. Everyone else—officials, workers, and pensioners—are local government personnel. They handle the appropriation of funds. However, when you claim to be empowering the local government, what actual power are you granting them? None.”
Continuing, the PDP chieftain stated that besides state lawmakers obstructing the process, many council officials do not take their responsibilities seriously. He noted that numerous workers fail to show up for work on certain days of the week.
“Any council chairman who says ‘Money is coming to me, I will disrespect my governor’ the House of Assembly will tell you to go and disobey him inside your house. This is because you can never even be a council chairman without the governor standing up for you. The House of Assembly regulates your activities.
“Go to the council meeting on Wednesday or Friday, you will not find 10 percent of the staff of the local government in the office. They don’t come. My name is Ayo Fayose and I want them to dispute this. They don’t come to work. When you make moves to bring them to book, both NULGE and all leaders of the local government will go and beg the governor.
“They will be telling you, we will not vote for you. This is the way we operate at the local government. The state is more effective in administrative performance than the local government. At the local government, everybody comes to collect money. Even people have left some states. They live somewhere else and money just hits their accounts,” he added.
