The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has lamented the arbitrary deductions from the allocations of local governments in the state.

He consequently ordered the immediate stoppage of all deductions by the Ministry of Local Governments and Chieftain Affairs, describing such practice as illegal and exploitation of the local governments.

The governor, in a meeting with chairmen of all the local government councils in the state, said that “the state laws cannot override the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He directed the ministry to submit their running cost to his office and stop exploiting the local government councils.


 
He urged the council chairmen to ensure that pensioners and teachers were paid their pensions and salaries this month.

Bello urged the chairmen to ensure that “council workers are promptly paid their full wages.”

He warned them against profligacy, saying the chairmen must account for every penny they received from the Federation Account.

He also advised them to execute projects that would impact positively on the people of the state, restating his desire to visit the local government areas to inaugurate projects.

In his remarks, the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Area, Alhaji F.G. Ibrahim, thanked the governor for his historic intervention at freeing Local Government Areas from financial restrictions.

He canvassed for a forensic audit of local governments’ pensioners just as he also advocated for better supervision of teachers to ensure efficiency.

The Chairman of ALGON in the state and the Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government Council, Alloysus Okino, thanked Bello for his clear directive on councils’ property and advised his colleagues to take possession of their property.