The Ondo State government has explained how the funds accruing to the 18 Local Governments from the Federation Account are disbursed, which has led to development at the grassroots levels.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, explained that local government funds are disbursed under the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC), which comprises chairmen of local governments, traditional rulers, officials of the state government, and labour leaders.
Takuro explained that the salary of primary school teachers, health workers at the Primary Health Centres (PHC), gratuities of retired workers, allocation for security personnel, and workers of loans and pension boards are deducted before the rest are shared among the 18 local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner said after the deduction of statutory expenses, funds are saved for capital projects, while a percentage of the money would be used to pay pensioners’ entitlements.
Takuro said local governments have been alive to their responsibilities, saying they have built offices, market stalls, and rural roads. They
have employed extension workers and given seedlings to farmers.
The local government chairmen have installed solar lights in their communities.
According to him, the local governments have saved money for the development of their respective local government areas, and the Governor has given a directive that, under his leadership, he wants local governments to be able to boast of the construction of roads, not only feeder roads, but also to ensure the government provides leadership to achieve that.
His words, “The interest of Mr Governor is to provide good leadership, and the state government has mapped out plans to bring in experts that will train local government chairmen and senior officials on revenue generation in their respective areas.
“Mr Governor is ready to key into the vision of Mr President to ensure that there is grassroots development because without this, even the urban centres will suffer for it. The rural areas are the ones that provide food for us. So, if we make them uncomfortable, there will not be rural to urban migration.”
Speaking on pensions to retired workers at the grassroots, Takuro said 80 per cent of the people who visited him were pensioners, seeking help. He said that some negotiated a percentage with him to get their gratuities.
He said, “I felt sorry for them, and I said we must do something to address their plights and that they don’t need to know me before they receive their gratuities.
“On gratuities alone, we have spent ₦10 to 12 billion because these people have provided their services meritoriously to the people of Ondo State. They have retired for many years, and they have not been paid, though not under this administration, but the government is a continuum.
“For ten to 15 years, these people have not been paid, and Mr Governor then called us to look at it and save money for the purpose of paying the retirees. And if we fail to come together at the JAAC meeting, it would be difficult for us to deduct money for that purpose.
“If we use this money for capital projects, they will applaud us, but these are people who must receive their entitlements.”
Takuro said the local governments have been able to save about #15 billion that would be deployed for capital projects in the council areas. He said the local governments would be able to grade rural roads and take care of the aged in their communities.
