The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a stern warning against the misuse of local government funds, urging state governments, traditional rulers, and civil society organisations (CSOs) to take an active role in tracking expenditures at the grassroots level.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, expressed deep concern over the rampant financial mismanagement plaguing local councils, likening them to “Automatic Teller Machines” (ATMs) for corrupt politicians. He made these remarks on Wednesday during the Gombe State Local Government Summit, where he addressed an audience of activists, traditional rulers, and local government officials.
Olukoyede lamented the growing trend where local government chairmen reside in state capitals, only visiting their councils once a month to “share the largesse called federal allocation.” He described a disturbing pattern of public officers exploiting the ignorance and passivity of rural populations to divert funds meant for development into private pockets.
> “It seems that the councils exist only to pay salaries of staff and primary school teachers. Beyond that, no one can account for where the remaining resources go.”
The EFCC chairman listed contract and procurement fraud, outright embezzlement, and brazen looting of public funds as common financial crimes plaguing the local government system. He vowed that the agency would not spare any officials found guilty of financial misconduct.
Olukoyede pointed to the dire consequences of corruption at the local level, highlighting:
Dilapidated roads despite funds being allocated for repairs.
Ill-equipped hospitals incapable of providing basic healthcare.
A lack of meaningful developmental projects despite increasing financial inflows.
> “The resources that accrue to local governments have not been properly managed. Instead of being engines of development, councils have become ATMs for avaricious public officers who feed on the system unchecked.”
With the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments, Olukoyede stressed that council leaders must prove themselves capable of managing resources judiciously. He warned that despite their newfound autonomy, they do not enjoy constitutional immunity and would be held accountable for misappropriation.
To curb the culture of corruption, the EFCC chair called for stronger accountability structures at the local level, emphasizing the need for:
Active legislative councils to perform oversight functions instead of rubber-stamping executive decisions.
Traditional rulers to monitor the activities of local councils and demand accountability.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) to track budgets, expose irregularities, and report malfeasance.
> “We must all take greater interest in how local government funds are spent. Where there is evidence of corruption, civil society groups must alert anti-graft agencies for immediate action.”
“You are not sole administrators; you are public servants. It’s time to break free from this cycle of looting and start delivering real governance to the people.”
With billions flowing into local councils, the EFCC has made it clear: financial autonomy does not mean impunity, and the days of unchecked looting at the grassroots level are numbered.
PIONEER NEWS 