The controversy over the handling of local government funds in Ondo State has taken a dramatic turn, as a top government insider has opened up on what he described as “the real story” behind Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s management of allocations.
Speaking with Roving Reporters, The source, who requested anonymity, dismissed allegations that councils were being shortchanged and forced to operate on just ₦4 million monthly.
“I have been part of local government administration for over 20 years and I can speak authoritatively on how the system runs,” he said. “There are structures that govern the councils, and it will be difficult to detach them completely from the state government. That’s why the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy is not in tandem with reality.”
According to him, removing state oversight would cripple some LGAs.
“If we implement that ruling blindly, it means some LGAs will have excess cash they don’t need, while others won’t even be able to pay salaries because of their staff strength. Pensioners would suffer, and the system will collapse,” he warned.
The official revealed that one of Aiyedatiwa’s first major interventions was tackling gratuity arrears.
“When this government came in, gratuities dating back to 2010 had not been paid. Governor Aiyedatiwa has cleared up to 2013 — that’s ₦2.8 billion already spent. Do you know that in the last allocation alone, ₦450 million was set aside strictly for gratuity? And this August, over ₦1 billion was saved for capital projects. If any chairman comes out to say no money was released, that chairman is a thief — plain and simple,” he declared.
He insisted the governor has never tampered with LG funds, saying decisions on spending were jointly taken with ALGON leaders.
“At the last meeting with the chairmen, we all agreed to focus on road projects. Every single one of those projects goes through the Bureau of Public Procurement before approval, not just the ministry. The chairmen are the ones executing the works — the state only guides. So when you hear they are getting ₦4 million, that’s a lie to dent the governor’s image for selfish political reasons.”
On infrastructure, the whistleblower said Aiyedatiwa has improved the lot of LGAs.
“Before he came, most LG secretariats didn’t even have functional vehicles. Today, they do. All local government buildings are under renovation, and we are considering recruitment to strengthen the system. Vehicles for traditional rulers are also in the pipeline. No governor in Nigeria has saved the kind of money Aiyedatiwa has saved for local governments,” he maintained.
He also stressed that the state has never imposed contractors on council bosses.
“Let me tell you this: in other states, governors hand over projects to their cronies. Here, Aiyedatiwa has never recommended a single contractor. The chairmen pick their contractors themselves. How then can anyone accuse him of diverting funds?”
The insider concluded with a blunt warning to the dissenting chairmen:
“All eyes are on local government money today. Nobody can do anyhow with it. Instead of admitting their own failures, some chairmen are crying wolf. Ondo remains one of the fairest states when it comes to local government administration.”
These revelations come as a direct counter to allegations reported earlier, where some chairmen anonymously accused the state of withholding their allocations.
The ALGON chairman, Donald Fasua, had also defended the governor, insisting councils were “solely in charge of their funds.”
