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The Igala youth Council (IYC), in collaboration with Civil Society Organisations in Kogi State have raised concerns over the unconstitutional diversion of the state’s local government funds.
The President/Convener, IYC, Onogu Meng, raised the concern at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Meng alleged that the state government was undermining local government autonomy through unlawful control and diversion of federal allocations meant for grassroots development.
According to him, we have conducted a case study of three Local Government Areas (LGAs) namely Dekina, Adavi, and Yagba.
“In 2024, Dekina LGA received an allocation of N5,306,833,007.50, with only N1,140,000,000 (21.48 per cent ) spent on salaries, leaving 78.52 per cent unaccounted for.
“In 2025, allocations from January to August are N4, 836,645,127.17, salary paid is N760, 000,000 (15.75 per cent), leaving 84.29 per cent unaccounted for.
“In Yagba East LGA, the council received N4, 432,932,792.75, with N1, 020,000,000. This represents 23.01 per cent spent on salaries, leaving 76.99 per cent unaccounted for.
“In 2025, between January and August, the council has received allocation totalling N3, 874,110,360.40. N680, 000,000, representing 17.55 per cent was spent salaries, leaving 82.45 per cent unaccounted for,” he said.
He that for Adavi LGA, N4.5 billion was received in 2024, with N1.08 billion, representing 23.60 per cent spent on salaries, leaving 76.40 per cent unaccounted for.
”Between January and August 2025, the LGA received N4.17 billion, and spent on N720 million (17.26 per cent) on salaries.
”These figures represent an alarming pattern of financial mismanagement that violates the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of local governments.
“Local government autonomy is not a privilege, it is a constitutional right. No government has the authority to convert public funds into personal or partisan resources.
“We hereby give a 21-day public notice for concrete steps by the state government to comply with the constitutional provisions on local government financial autonomy,” he said.
He noted that in spite the massive inflows, local governments remained improvised, with workers experiencing staggered salary payments and communities lacking basic development projects.
“We state unequivocally that this is a direct violation of the constitution and gross misconduct, and we demand immediate rectification.
“We demand an independent audit of all local government allocations in Kogi State from 2024 to date.
“We demand immediate investigations by National Assembly, the EFCC, ICPC, and relevant federal oversight agencies and full access to statutory funds for local government chairmen,” he added.
Meng also called on traditional rulers, labour unions, youth groups, and the media to speak up and defend democracy at the grassroots.
Also speaking, Ekpah Adejoh, Converner, Kogi People’s Watch, said that data obtained from the African Immigration Commission and other public financial sources revealed a disturbing pattern of huge inflows to local governments with little or nothing to show on ground.
Adejoh said that in spite of the availability of verifiable data in the public domain, local governments across the state remained impoverished and underdeveloped.
He added that the group would proceed to submit a petition to the Senate President and the Speaker House of Representatives on the need to be aware of what was happening in the state.
“We will also proceed to submit our petition to EFCC and ICPC. We are moving from here now on a peaceful protest to the gate of the National Assembly where we will collectively submit our petitions.
“We are calling on President Bola Tinubu to also look at what is happening in Kogi.
”Our fear is if we cannot stand up to do what we are doing now, the future of the generation yet to come from Kogi will be jeopardised,” he said. (NAN)
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