Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the Senate has cautioned Local Government chairmen who spend money on the directive of their respective state governors to desist from doing so.
The outgoing Senator gave the advise on Saturday as the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) guidelines on the finance of local government areas takes effect.
The NFIU early last month issued the guidelines barring state governors from tampering with funds meant for local government areas. Expected to begin on June 1, the policy if implemented, will now see shares of the local government go straight to their accounts from the federation account.
The guidelines has been rejected by state governors who described the move as unconstitutional.
Reminding the council chairmen that the day of accountability must come, the Kaduna lawmaker urged those who will henceforth obey the directive of their governor, in sharing the money accrued to them, to ensure they document names of those receiving the money.
“If you are a Local Government Chairman and your Governor has been giving you directives to dip your hands into the treasury and share money to his cronies or for political or Campaigns purposes or to award contracts indiscriminately, without due process, to party Excos and yes men, and you have been complying because he helped you to be chairman, know that a day would come when you will answer your charges before the EFCC OR ICPC alone,” Mr Sani said in a Facebook post.
“Nobody will accompany you when invited, nobody will accompany you to the court, nobody will stay with you in the cell. Only your immediate family members. Neither the Governor will stand by you nor the people he directed you ‘to help’.
“Long after the Governor is out of the office, the Books will still be there. This is not an assumption but a recall to the experience of thousands of others in the past. As the NFIU guidelines takes effect, know that you will be closely monitored and only you can protect yourself and your name.
“My last advice; Keep records of the names of people you share money to,and those you gave out inflated contracts,so that when the time for refund comes,you can easily tender their names to relevant authorities,” the lawmaker advised.
There are 774 local governments areas across the country. POLITICS TIMES gathered that most of the third tier of government do not have elective chairmen.
Some state governors who do not want to conduct local government elections appoint administrators to oversee the affairs of the local government areas.
