Abia Councillor Forced To Resign Over Lack Of Funds, Claims State Government Blocked All Access

The leader of the Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council, Hon. Victor Ngwakwe, has been forced to resign after raising concerns over the financial management of local government funds in Abia State, SaharaReporters has learnt.  

Ngwakwe, who represents Osokwa Ward, had lamented that councillors in Osisioma Ngwa are under immense pressure from their constituents to deliver basic services despite the absence of direct funding.

"Our people are not asking for much. They just want the basic things government is supposed to do for them," Ngwakwe said.

"But the grassroots don't know the people at the state level — they only have access to their councillors, who unfortunately have no funds to work with."

Ngwakwe accused the Abia State Government of violating the 1999 Constitution and the Local Government Act by appropriating and spending local government allocations from Umuahia, instead of allowing councils to manage their own funds.

"Everything is done at Government House in Umuahia, which is against what's clearly stated in the Constitution," he said.

Another councillor, who wished to remain anonymous, corroborated Ngwakwe's assertion. "What we're being paid is N240,000 as councillors, and it's not helping matters. We don't participate in projects, we don't know how much funding is allocated for projects, or how it's being spent or executed. We don't know anything that concerns money that happens in the local government."

The councillor added that councillors don't know anything going on at their respective council areas. "You just wake up and see that they're doing this market here. How much comes in, how much leaves the council, we don't know. We don't appropriate funds, which is not right."

When asked whether they pass the budget for the local government, the councillor said: "We don't pass the budget, we don't appropriate, we don't oversee funds or sit over projects or approve projects. We don't do that."

The councillor revealed that the issue led to Ngwakwe's resignation. "That's why you see the whole issue that's happening, especially in Osisioma LGA. They insisted that my leader — the leader of the legislative council — must resign. 

"That's what we've been battling for, for like three weeks now, because he made a post saying that we don't even know how the local government gets N500 million, N400 million, and all we get at the end of the month is N240,000. So he resigned few days ago."

The councillor lamented the level of sycophancy among councillors in Abia State. "Sycophancy is too common among councillors here in Abia State," he said.

Ngwakwe's resignation has sparked concerns about the financial management of local government funds in Abia State.

The development has also highlighted the plight of councillors who are expected to deliver basic services to their constituents without adequate funding.

The state government has not commented on the issue. However, sources indicate that the government may be under pressure to review the financial management of local government funds in the state.

For now, the deputy leader of the Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council is acting as the new leader.

The councillors' association in the state is yet to comment on the issue.  

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