Three Edo LG Councils Received Zero Allocation from Federation Account in November

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Three out of the 18 local government councils in Edo State were reported to have received zero allocation from the Federation Account for the month of November.
Against this background, the affected councils namely Oredo, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode have been advised to look elsewhere to augment their finances.

Briefing journalists after the joint allocation committee meeting of local governments in the state held at the Government House, Benin City, yesterday, the spokesman of the heads of local government administration, and head of Esan South East, Macaulay Ehonor, said the other LGAs have received the sum of N1,777,639,808.24 from the federal allocation for the month of November 2016, out of which the total mandatory deduction came up to the sum of N1,181,401,139.16.

He said the bulk of the mandatory expenditure went into the payment of teachers’ salaries while three local governments received negative allocation and would have to look elsewhere for funds to meet their financial obligations.

According to him, “The bulk of this mandatory expenditure went in forteachers’ salaries, and in this month’s distribution, three local governments received negative allocation. That is to say, what accrued to these local governments cannot fully pay their teachers’ salaries.
“In other words, they are supposed to go out looking for money to augment, and these local governments are Oredo, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode local governments. These received negative allocation after the deduction from the mandatory expenditure.”

Ehonor continued, “Arising from this development, His Excellency has promised that the State will intervene to ensure that these local governments are able to meet some commitments to the staff of the local governments this month. The government has also promised to assist the local governments to carry out an assessment of our economic potentials of each and every local government. That is, to establish our base revenues and also our base monthly expenditure, to see how viable each and every local government would be in the months to come.

“The local governments are also to carry out physical verification of teachers in the respective primary schools as soon as schools resume.

The National Union of Teachers, (NUT) has also been sensitised by the state government towards this assignment. This administration will abhor absenteeism of its staff, both teachers and non-teaching staff.”

He said: “We were also advised to ensure that our marriage registries are functional, and records from these marriage registries are updated on a monthly basis so as to be able to discharge effectively our constitutional responsibilities as regards marriages, births and deaths.

The 18 local government councils in Edo State have received the sum of N1,777,639,808.24 from the federal allocation for the month of November, 2016 and absolved the state government of any interference with revenue accruing to local government areas.

“We have just held the joint allocation committee meeting of local governments in Edo State presided over by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Edo State, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki.

“The total allocation received by local governments in Edo State for the month of November, shared now in the month of December is  N1,777,639,808.24 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eight Naira, Twenty Four Kobo).

“Of this amount, the total mandatory expenditure came up toN1,181,401,139.16,” Ehonor stressed.
He added: “The local governments are also to carry out physical verification of teachers in the respective primary schools as soon as schools resume. The National Union of Teachers, (NUT) has also beensensitised by the State Government towards this assignment. Thisadministration will abhor absenteeism of its staff, both teachers and non-teaching staff.

“These were the highpoints of this month’s meeting, and we were all satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. It is also clear from this that thestate government in no way interferes with the revenue accruing to local governments. Thank you.”

The Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Osarodion Ogie and the Head of Service, Mrs. Gladys Idahor were also present at the joint allocation committee meeting of local government councils.