Sam Onuigbo, member of the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission and former two-term member of the House of Representatives, has urged state governors to set aside personal and political interests and allow federal allocations to be paid directly to local government councils.
He commended Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, for recently directing that monthly allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee be remitted straight to the 27 local government areas in the state. According to Zulum, the measure is designed to enhance transparency, strengthen accountability and empower local government chairpersons to drive grassroots development effectively.
Onuigbo described the move as a model worthy of emulation by other governors across the country. He noted that direct allocation of funds to councils would reinforce ongoing reform efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ensuring that governance and development initiatives are felt at the local level.
The NEDC board member, who chairs the Commission’s Committee on Security, Special Intervention and Climate Change, argued that excessive control of local government finances by state governments has weakened democracy at the grassroots. He maintained that true federalism and democratic governance can only thrive when local councils are granted financial autonomy in line with constitutional provisions.
In a letter to Governor Zulum, Onuigbo expressed satisfaction with the development, recalling his longstanding advocacy for financial independence of local governments. He stated that his previous calls for governors to refrain from interfering with council funds came at significant personal and political cost.
Drawing from his experience as a former state commissioner, Onuigbo said he witnessed firsthand how financial limitations hindered local government chairmen from fully discharging their constitutional responsibilities. He stressed that granting councils direct access to federal allocations would enhance service delivery and deepen democratic governance at the grassroots.
