TheCable

George Akume, minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs, says state governments should not withhold funds allocated to local governments. 

Akume who said this at a two-day retreat for LG chairmen/executives in Uyo, asked state governments to ensure they deploy LG allocated funds for the provision of effective and efficient service delivery at the grassroots.

He spoke on the need to allow LGAs to thrive as this will pave the way for the development of the councils.  

He said bad governance over the years has led to the heightened wave of crime such as banditry, kidnapping, and cultism.

Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom governor, represented by Emmanuel Ekuwen, the secretary to state government, said the revenue sharing formula of the federal government has not been fair and this has posed great problems for the LG councils over the years . 

In his remarks, Anthonia Ekpa, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said: “Good governance, resource mobilisation and public financial management for rural areas ensure development in all areas of a state.”

At the end of the meeting, a 10-point communique was released. It had in its resolution among other things – that the LG councils should diversify their sources of internally-generated revenue to reduce their dependence on federal and state governments.