Stakeholders at the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting have commended the Ogun State Government for ensuring accountability and transparency in  the allocation of fund to Local Governments.

The stakeholders, which comprised of the representatives of traditional rulers, Local Government Chairmen, Local Government Pensioners, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), among others, lend their voices at the August 2022 edition of the meeting, at the Conference Hall, Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.

Speaking, the Obiri of Ayepe, Oba Adebisi Okubanjo, stated that the sustenance of the meeting had distinct the State among its peers in the country, saying the present administration’s strides on the overall development of the State was laudable.  

Contributing, the  Chairmen, NULGE, Comrade Ayuba Olatunji and his counterpart in the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Akinola Abiodun, said  judicious utilisation of allocated funds would enable the government provide more developmental projects across the State.

Presenting the breakdown of the allocation, Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, represented by the Permanent Secretary and Accountant-General of the State Treasury, Mr. Babatunde Aregbesola, said the 20 Local Governments received a sum of N4,685,649,984.81, which include, shares of statutory allocation, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Exchange Gain from the Federal Allocation for August 2022.

Okubadejo explained that N4,070,874,949.67 was for the payments of first-line charges, which include, Primary School Teachers’ Salary, Local Government Staff Salary, Pensions, Traditional Councils and other charges, while others were contributory pension and cooperative deductions, excluding PAYE and 5 percent Bond on Pension, amounting to N323,049,938.12, as N614,775,035.14 remains gross surplus for the month.

In his remark, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat  said irrespective of the surplus, Local Government Chairmen needed to concentrate more on the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), urging them to be prudent in their spending.