Divert public funds and go to jail — AGF warns Local Government chairmen

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has warned local government council chairmen and councillors against diverting funds meant for their jurisdictions.

Speaking at an event in Abuja on Thursday, July 25, Fagbemi warned that anyone found wanting will be jailed.

Recall that the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, July 11, granted financial autonomy to the 774 local governments across the country.

The apex court in its pronouncement in a lawsuit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governments ordered the Federal Government to henceforth, pay allocation meant for the 774 local government directly to their respective accounts.

Fagbemi, who observed that local government chairmen may want to divert the funds amid state pressure, said: “Well, we have a situation on our hands, I know that it is still there; the conduct of elections is to be undertaken by the states.

But the distinction is this: don’t forget, the governors have immunity, the local government council chairmen or councillors, they have no immunity, so they have to choose between dealing with the funds of the local government as they like and risking going to jail. The choice is theirs (LG chairmen).

If they want to tamper with these funds and end up in jail, it is their choice. Or if they want to write their names in letters of gold, activities like construction or upgrading of roads must return to the local government. They don’t all have to come to Abuja.

If they stay at the local government, we will be able to reduce the level of insecurity that we have in Nigeria today. What obtains offshore is that the security agents are able to perform optimally because of information that comes to them from members of the public and usually it is from the grassroots.”