The Abia State government has dismissed allegations made by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that Governor Alex Otti is seeking to cede 90% of local government funds to the state, leaving the local governments with only 10%. The government described the allegations as baseless and misleading.
According to Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, “at no time did the Executive arm of Government led by Governor Alex Otti send any Bill to the House of Assembly seeking to get 90% of LGA allocation ceded to the state” .
Ekeoma challenged the NLC leadership to provide documentary evidence to back up their claims, stating that they had fallen prey to “mischief and unsubstantiated fake news” circulated by opposition elements.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie Meregini, had earlier clarified the issue, explaining that the bill in question was designed to benefit local governments without usurping their funds or violating Supreme Court rulings on local government autonomy. The bill establishes the Abia State Rural Access Road Agency, part of the World Bank’s Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) .
The government expressed disappointment that the NLC had not sought clarification from the House before rushing to the media, and reminded the NLC leadership that their actions were harmful to the welfare of Abians.
The statement reads in part
“The attention of Abia State government has been drawn to a letter sent to the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly and jointly signed by the State Chairman and Secretary of NLC Abia State Chapter.
“The letter alleged that there’s a Bill sent to the House of Assembly by the Executive Seeking to cede 90% of Local Government Funds to the State leaving the LGAs with 10%.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered getting involved since the letter was written to the Legislative Arm of Government, however, we were taken aback by a disrespectful and baseless statement in the letter where the Speaker was enjoined not to allow the governor ‘mislead’ him.
“We wish to state as follows:
1. That at no time did the Executive arm of Government led by Governor Alex Otti send any Bill to the House of Assembly seeking to get 90% of LGA allocation ceded to the state. We challenge the NLC leadership who obviously fell prey to the mischievous and unsubstantiated fake news being circulated by some opposition elements in the state, to provide any documentary evidence to back up its claim.
2. Before the NLC wrote its letter, the Deputy Speaker of the House who also doubles as the House Committee Chairman on Information, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie Meregini had while addressing the press on Thursday, October 24, clarified this, following speculations that the House passed a law to tamper with local government funds. The Deputy Speaker emphatically explained that the rumour is false and went on to explain that the bill, brought by the governor, is designed to benefit local governments without usurping their funds or violating Supreme Court ruling on local government autonomy. According to him “The bill is for the establishment of the Abia State Rural Access Road Agency, which is part of the World Bank’s Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), and noted that similar bills have already been passed in states like Ebonyi, Kwara, and Sokoto, with RAAMP receiving funding from the World Bank, the International Finance Agency (IFA), and the French Agency for Development (AFD).
“The Deputy Speaker further explained that both state and local governments are expected to contribute counterpart funding for road construction, but assured that this does not mean the state will control local government funds. He also dismissed the false claim that some members of the House staged a walkout, and made it clear that there was no walkout, as all members, including the opposition, were present during the session.
3. Shouldn’t a reputable body like the NLC have written a letter of clarification to the House to obtain the correct information instead of hastily rushing to the media to misrepresent the government and disinform the public? Shouldn’t the authors of the letter have been more careful, more cautious and more informed before speaking on the issue?
4. The government wishes to remind the Leadership of NLC in the state that exhibiting unprovoked hostile disposition and acting maliciously and irrationally based on misinformation from rumour mongers to the point of distorting or challenging government’s noble policies and programmes geared towards advancing the welfare of all Abians, is an unpopular route they shouldn’t travel through, because Abia workers and millions of other Abians are discerning enough to differentiate between media clout chasing and pro-people altruism.
5. We call on workers in Abia state to call their leadership to order as it has constituted itself into a channel for peddling fake news, moreso in an area that has nothing to do with the welfare of it’s members.
6. Finally, we wish to state that, Governor Alex Otti’s administration’s determination to disrupt the destructive old order in Abia state and ignite a new phase of productivity and holistic development in all spheres, is one driven with altruism, passion, commitment and courage, hence Abians are enjoined not to pay attention to cheap distractions and falsehood aimed at creating unnecessary tension and disaffection in the polity. Our assurance is that this government will remain focused and single-minded in delivering to our people.”
