Why LG councils don't know how much they receive from FG - ICPC

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has exposed the reason behind lack of efficient local government council administrations across Nigeria.

According to the anti-corruption agency, for a long time it has been difficult for the councils to know exactly how much allocation gets to them through the federation

account because their allocations pass through the joint account between the LGs and the states.

The disclosure reinforces widespread concerns about the lack of transparency, accountability, and autonomy at the local government level, despite constitutional and judicial provisions guaranteeing such independence.

In a capacity-building workshop on the Local Government Accountability Framework (LGAF) in Jos Plateau state, the Executive Secretary of the ICPC, Clifford Oparaodu, lamented that despite the Supreme Court ruling affirming full local government autonomy, there is still no uniform system to verify what councils actually receive.

“When funds are released from the Federation Account, they are channelled through the States Joint Accounts Committees. Many local governments do not know their exact allocations and only accept what is handed to them. This system makes planning impossible and undermines accountability,” Oparaodu said.

He added that while the ICPC cannot enforce court judgments, the Commission is concerned that non-compliance with such rulings weakens development and transparency at the grassroots. 

He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among anti-corruption agencies to ensure public resources are used effectively for citizens’ benefit.

The Coordinator of LGAF workshop, Umar Yakubu, decried the continued financial dependence of local governments on state governments.

“There is still no evidence that allocations reach the councils directly. Funds continue to pass through the state–local government joint accounts, giving governors control over how they are spent. Until citizens demand transparency, development at the grassroots will remain stunted,” Yakubu stated.