The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stands resolutely at the helm of integrity and accountability in governance, issuing this unequivocal statement to all Chairmen of Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Nigeria, with a special emphasis on the 95 councils within the Southeast. Recent developments necessitate this forthright warning: any attempt to unlawfully divert LGA funds for the personal enrichment of Governors will not only be met with vehement opposition but will also incur stringent legal repercussions.

The directive from the Federal Government mandating the establishment of dedicated accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for direct allocations from the Federation Account is a monumental step forward in ensuring transparency and proper governance. This policy aligns with the Supreme Court ruling advocating for direct allocations to all 774 councils. Ohanaeze Ndigbo views this measure as critical in curbing the long-standing malpractices that have plagued our local governance system, enabling a more direct and accountable flow of resources to the communities they serve.

We wish to remind all LGA Chairmen in the Southeast that the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has a mandate to rigorously monitor the management and utilization of these funds. Therefore, we urge the Chairmen to adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability, and good governance. Ohanaeze Ndigbo will not sit idly by while the integrity of our local councils is compromised. Consequently, we are diligently collaborating with a team of anti-corruption agents from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure that any LGA boss found colluding with Governors to misappropriate council funds faces prosecution.

The heinous practice of utilizing Local Government resources as a conduit for Governors’ personal gain must come to an end. We firmly proclaim that the Southeast LGA Chairmen must grasp the gravity of their positions: no Governor will provide sanctuary from justice; evidence of misconduct, misappropriation, and the failure to ensure the payment of salaries to members of the National Union of Local Government Workers and the Nigerian Union of Teachers will lead to serious consequences, including possible imprisonment.

In our collective pursuit of safeguarding the interests of our communities, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has instituted an auditing committee tasked with scrutinizing the flow and disbursement of funds, ensuring that the era of siphoning resources for personal gain is irrevocably extinguished. Our managers of local councils should recognize that any legislative maneuvers by some Southeast Governors to collaborate with State House of Assembly members for the enactment of detrimental laws aimed at gaining access to these funds will be met with staunch legal challenges. Such attempts will be rigorously contested in court, as no cloak of immunity can shield those culpable of undermining the financial integrity of our councils.

We call upon all Local Government Area bosses to uphold the sanctity of their offices. The time for ethical leadership is now, and any betrayal of this trust will not go unpunished. Let us work together to cultivate a climate of transparency and accountability, ensuring the prosperity and development of our communities.

Signed,
Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro
Deputy President General
Ohanaeze Ndigbo