— Group urges Makinde to publish allocation, transfer and expenditure records
By Adeola Badru
IBADAN — A former Minister of Power and Steel, Wole Oyelese, has called on Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to provide a transparent account of statutory allocations to the state’s 33 local government areas.
Oyelese, convener of the Oyo State Grassroots Financial Accountability Initiative, made the call in a statement on Thursday, arguing that public accountability should apply to all tiers of government.
The initiative acknowledged the governor’s right to demand payment of any outstanding funds legitimately owed to Oyo State by the Federal Government but said residents were also entitled to information about allocations intended for local governments.
“Governor Makinde, your demand for financial accountability from the Federal Government is legitimate, but accountability cannot be selective,” the statement said.
“If you insist that Abuja must release money due to Oyo State, the people of Oyo State are equally entitled to ask what has happened to the funds due to their 33 local governments in the past eight years,” it added.
The group said transparency in local government finances was important because councils were responsible for services and infrastructure affecting residents, particularly in rural communities.
It identified rural and community roads, primary healthcare, medical supplies, public markets, environmental sanitation, primary schools and community infrastructure as areas where local government funding could affect service delivery.
The initiative called for a comprehensive account of allocations to each of the 33 local government areas, including monthly sums due from the Federation Account over the past seven years and beyond.
It asked the state government to clarify the amounts allocated to each council, the sums transferred into their respective accounts and how the funds were subsequently expended.
The group also called for explanations of deductions, charges and transfers associated with local government funds, including the legal basis for the transactions and the identities of the officials who authorised them.
It further requested details of expenditure by individual councils, projects funded from their allocations and the mechanisms available to elected local government officials and residents to scrutinise financial records.
“These questions should be answered with actual figures, bank records, allocation statements and audited accounts, not political speeches,” the statement said.
The initiative urged the state government to publish monthly allocations due to each local government, amounts received, deductions and transfers, alongside the legal authority for relevant financial arrangements.
It added that any concerns about the handling of public funds should be referred to the appropriate institutions for examination and resolution in accordance with the law.
The group cited the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment on local government financial autonomy, arguing that the ruling underscored the importance of protecting councils’ financial independence and ensuring that allocations were managed in accordance with constitutional requirements.
It said financial autonomy should be accompanied by transparent records and accountability for expenditure, with the ultimate objective of improving services for residents.
The initiative also linked its demand to Makinde’s calls for the Federal Government to account for billions of naira allegedly owed to Oyo State in NNPC dividends.
While supporting the governor’s demand for the settlement of legitimate outstanding obligations, the group said the same principles of transparency should guide discussions about funds due to local governments.
“We agree that every government must honour its lawful financial obligations. If the Federal Government owes Oyo State money, it should explain the circumstances, reconcile the accounts and pay whatever is legitimately due,” the statement said.
It maintained that statutory allocations were public funds intended for the relevant institutions and should be accounted for transparently.
The group consequently urged Makinde to explain the financial arrangements governing allocations to the state’s local governments and make relevant records available for public scrutiny.
It stressed that its position was not intended to discourage the governor from seeking outstanding funds from the Federal Government, but to encourage consistent standards of financial accountability.
“Our position is not that the governor should abandon his demand against Abuja. It is that he should apply to his own administration the same standard of accountability he demands from others,” the statement said.
It added: “We support every legitimate demand for money owed to Oyo State, but we demand the same transparency for money owed to Oyo’s local governments.”
The initiative said its intervention was aimed at promoting the interests of residents, particularly those in grassroots communities who depend on local government services and infrastructure.
“This, we believe, is not too much for us to ask for on behalf of the beleaguered masses of our people, especially at the grassroots,” Oyelese said.
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