Osun State Government Alleges Plot to Divert Local Government Funds into Private Accounts

The Osun State Government has raised serious allegations against the offices of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), accusing them of plans to divert statutory funds meant for the state’s local government areas into private accounts belonging to some individuals.

The state government claims that instead of paying the statutory funds directly to the local government councils as mandated, the CBN Osogbo office has rejected the official list of local government accounting officers submitted by the state. Instead, it allegedly intends to channel the funds into private accounts linked to associates of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, circumventing ongoing Supreme Court cases related to local government autonomy and funding.

In a statement, the Osun State Government appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently and prevent what it described as an unlawful and fraudulent act. The government warned that any funds paid into unauthorized private accounts would not be recognized as local government funds and would attract legal consequences.

Reacting to the allegations, the chairman of the local government chairmen elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform denied any involvement in diverting funds to private accounts. He assured that all statutory allocations would be paid into the appropriate local government accounts as prescribed by law.

The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Osun also expressed concern over the development. The union revealed that the CBN had directed the opening of accounts for the 30 local governments with signatories not authorized by the state government, raising fears of financial malpractice and mismanagement.

This controversy comes against the backdrop of a federal government directive insisting that local government funds be paid directly to local government councils, bypassing state governments. This directive aligns with a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming local government autonomy in financial matters. The federal government has also urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Osun State’s suit seeking control over local government funds, emphasizing that states have no constitutional right to manage these allocations.

As the dispute unfolds, stakeholders await further developments and hope for a resolution that will protect the financial integrity and autonomy of Osun’s local governments.

Sources: Punch, PM News, Nigerian Tribune

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