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Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, has granted financial autonomy to Local Governments in the state. He has abolished arbitrary deductions from the allocations of the LGAs.
He ordered the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to stop the arbitrary deductions from the allocations of the LGAs saying that the state laws could not override the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Speaking during a meeting with the local government chairmen, the governor directed the ministry to submit its running cost to his office and stop exploiting the Local Government Councils.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement after the meeting that Bello told the council Chairmen to ensure that pensioners and teachers were paid their pensions and salaries this month.
He said:
“The governor urged the Chairmen to ensure Council workers are promptly paid their full wages, warning against profligacy, saying the Chairmen must account for every penny received from the Federation Account.”
He also tasked the Chairmen to execute projects that would impact positively on the people of the state, reiterating his desire to visit Local Government Areas to inaugurate projects.”