The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has warned local government chairmen across the country, to take accountability seriously, reminding them that they are not immune to investigation and prosecution for fraud.
Speaking at the Gombe State Local Government Summit on Wednesday, Olukoyede stressed the need for prudent management of public funds, warning that the anti-graft agency would not wait until the end of their tenure to investigate any financial misconduct.
“Local government chairmen do not have immunity, and we are not going to wait until you finish your tenure to come after you,” he stated.
He lamented the persistent stagnation, poverty, and underdevelopment in rural areas despite significant financial allocations over the years.
“The impact of these resources is not felt by the people living in these areas. Councils, instead of becoming catalysts of growth, have become caricatures existing only in name,” he said.
To ensure better resource management, the EFCC chairman advised local government leaders to establish compliance units to monitor fund usage and project execution.
He revealed that the EFCC’s Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department would be actively monitoring councils, particularly in Gombe State, to track the utilization of increased allocations from the federation account.
“EFCC will be paying you visits occasionally to monitor how you are using the funds. We will come in the evening. Sometimes, you may even be seeing us in your dreams,” he warned.
Olukoyede commended Governor Muhammad Yahaya for his commitment to transparency and local government development, stating, “if most governors were like you, I would have less work to do.”
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Similarly, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, decried the lack of transparency in local government administration, revealing that only seven out of Nigeria’s 774 local government councils have functional websites, making it difficult to track their expenditures.
Governor Yahaya emphasized the importance of capacity-building and financial discipline for local government councils, particularly in light of their newly granted autonomy.
He noted that Gombe State was already ahead of the Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy, having granted full fiscal independence to its 11 local government councils.
“For autonomy to be beneficial and useful, the councils must have the capacity and discipline to utilize their resources for the good of the people,” the governor stated.
The summit is aimed at strengthening local government administration in Gombe State, ensuring efficient service delivery and financial accountability.
