A group, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), has described the recent freezing of the accounts of the 21 local government areas in Kogi state by Governor Idris Wada as illegal and unconstitutional.
The group also called for the autonomy of the local government, saying that it was the only tier of government that was closer to the people at the grassroots.
Executive Director of the group, Mr. Idris Miliki Abdul, who stated this during a press conference in Lokoja, yesterday, said the action of the state governor for ordering the freezing of the councils accounts and the constituting of audit panel to audit the local government account for the inability of the council chairmen to pay full salaries to the staff of the councils has undermined the constitutional obligation of the state Auditor General.
According to him, Section 125(2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended states clearly that “the public account of a state and all offices and courts of the state shall be audited by the Auditor General of the state who shall submit his report to the house of assembly of the concerned state.”
He, therefore, called on Auditor General of Kogi state to perform his statutory function by auditing the Local Government Accounts and submit the report to the state house of assembly, advising that any council chairman officially found guilty should be allow facing the wrath of the law.
“Local government funds are meant for the development of the rural areas, any council chairman who may directly or indirectly divert the funds for personal use should be punished accordingly without mercy.”