Local government funds not diverted – Benue ALGON

The Benue State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has dismissed as false and misleading reports alleging irregularities in the management of local government finances in the state.

Its Chairman, Vitalis Neji, stated this on Wednesday when he addressed newsmen on behalf of the 23 local government chairmen.

Neji, who was relating to media reports about alleged financial diversion of LGA funds, said the publications were completely false.

He said it was a deliberate distortion of facts aimed at creating unnecessary tension to mislead the public and undermine the cordial relationship between the state government and the 23 local government councils.

He said there was no crisis within the local government system as portrayed in the report.

According to him, Governor Hyacinth Alia has remained committed to strengthening local government administration by providing an enabling environment for councils to function effectively in line with the principles of local government autonomy.

He said the administration’s support had resulted in the construction of 5km roads in various councils, regular payment of salaries, and execution of projects that had positively impacted communities across the state.

Neji said: “We reject in its entirety the allegation that funds belonging to local governments are being withdrawn arbitrarily or without the knowledge and consent of the duly elected chairmen.

“Such claims are unfounded and exist only in the imagination of their promoters.”

He also dismissed claims that council chairmen staged a walkout during a meeting of the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) over alleged deductions from local government allocations.

He explained that the meeting was only rescheduled because some chairmen were attending official engagements in their respective local government areas, while others were away on national assignments.

“Any attempt to present this routine administrative adjustment as evidence of a financial crisis is mischievous and should be disregarded,” he said.

The ALGON chairman reaffirmed the association’s support for the policies and programmes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the developmental agenda of Governor Alia.

Neji said the association would continue to partner with the state government in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance while delivering democratic dividends at the grassroots.

He urged members of the public to disregard the publication and called on journalists to uphold the ethics of the profession by verifying facts before publication.

He said they will not be distracted by what he described as baseless propaganda intended to undermine progress in the local government system.

He maintained that ALGON remained focused on its constitutional mandate of promoting grassroots development and improving the welfare of the people.