From Akanimore Kufre (The New Diplomat A’Ibom & Cross River Correspondent)
A pressure group known as the Liberation Force(NDLF), has given Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state, a 14-day ultimatum to publish federal allocations to local government areas in the state.
The ultimatum which expires in a few days from today has caused anxiety in the state as uncertainties continue to set in among residents and natives.
Recall that a pressure group known as the NDLF has asked Gov Emmanuel to publish all federal allocations accruable to all local councils in the state since June 2015, alleging that the Gov Emmanuel administration has been tinkering with allocations to local councils from the federation account.
In a statement at the weekend signed by one Victor Eyoh, and four others, the group asked the state government to prove its innocence by making public, an accurate records of council allocations.
The statement reads in part, ” For the avoidance of doubt, as indigenes of Akwa Ibom state, we are very much aware that during the first five months after the inauguration of the outgoing local government councils, all the 31 councils were operating on zero allocations.
”In subsequent months, N6 to N8million per month were disbursed to each LGA for the payment of political office holders, elected councilors and traditional rulers.
”We, therefore, stand by our earlier claims that the state government has been illegally tampering with local government funds, and challenge the government to publish for public scrutiny details of all the monthly receipts of revenue from the Federation Account from June 2015 in respect of the allocations to the 31 local government areas of the state and records of disbursements of same to the councils”.
The commissioner for information and strategy, Comrade Iniobong Ememobong denied that the state government is tampering with council funds, saying Governor Emmanuel is not a signatory to any local government council account.
Ememobong, who said the NDLF may be working for the opposition, asked the group to approach the Federal Government for records of funds allocations to local government councils in the state.
The information Commissioner was recently quoted as saying, ”The publication of allocation to local government areas is done by the federal government and is available for all to see.
”The local government leadership through ALGON can answer whether the Governor has been tampering with their allocations.
”However, for your information, the Governor isn’t a signatory to any local government council account and therefore cannot tamper with an account he’s not a signatory to.”
