More trouble looms for Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara as the state chapter of the Association of Local Government Areas of Nigeria (ALGON) has backed his impeachment, accusing him of withholding funds meant for the 23 LGAs in the state.
The State ALGON Chairman, who is the Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda, stated this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Majority of the local government chairmen are political supporters of the immediate Governor of the state and minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
On Monday, the major opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) called for the governor’s impeachment accusing him of deriding the LG chairmen after the governor said they did “not exist” as far as he was concerned.
Irked by that, the APC said Fubara’s declaration was illegal and unconstitutional as the constitution accordingly shared powers among the three tiers of government with each having powers carefully allocated.
ALGON agreed on Wednesday saying the governor had committed constitutional breaches by withholding local government funds as provided for by the constitution.
Ihunda said the governor’s action had denied access to funds to carry out their functions.
According to the LG chairmen, the Governor’s action amounted to proscribing local councils in the state.
“It has come to the notice of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, that the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has neglected, failed, and deliberately refused to hold the statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting which is the prerequisite for the release and disbursement of funds due to the local government in the State Joint Local Government Accounts.
“And has continued to withhold the statutory allocations due to the 23 local government councils of Rivers State since April 2024,” Ihunda.
He added that “in the case of Emuoha LGA since March 2024 till date for no just course, thereby starving the third tier of the government of the funds required to discharge its statutory functions in the administration of the local government areas.”