The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has issued a stern warning to politicians embezzling local government funds, vowing that they will not be spared by the anti-graft agency.
Olukoyede made this declaration on Wednesday while addressing activists, traditional rulers, and local government officials at the Gombe State Local Government Summit in the North-East state.
His remarks come on the heels of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that granted full financial autonomy to local governments, ensuring direct allocation of funds to the third tier of government. He urged the 774 local government chairmen across Nigeria to utilize the increased financial inflow for strategic developmental projects that will benefit their communities.
“Even though you may have financial autonomy, you must also remember that you don’t have constitutional immunity,” Olukoyede stated. “The application of your resources will be strictly monitored, not only by anti-corruption agencies but also by the state government. It is in the interest of the state government to ensure that local government funds are responsibly and judiciously utilized for developmental projects.”
The EFCC chairman emphasized the need for local government officials to embrace transparency and accountability, noting that effective governance at the grassroots level depends on adherence to financial regulations and public finance management principles.
He further called for the proper functioning of the legislative arm of local governments, lamenting that many council lawmakers fail to carry out their duties. “We have observed that in several areas, the legislative units of the local governments neither sit nor work as required,” he said.
Olukoyede stressed that without a proper system of checks and balances, local government chairmen would continue to act as sole administrators, a situation he described as detrimental to due process and accountability.
“You are not sole administrators; you are local government chairmen,” he reminded them. “To build an accountable system at the local level, we must start with ensuring that council leaders are in tune with laws governing public finance and that they comply fully.”
