BENIN CITY – Edo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Lucky James has maintained that local governments in Edo State in recent times under the supervision of the ministry has fared better than other states in the federation.
Chief James said this while fielding questions from newsmen on the allegation that the monthly allocation accruing to the local governments does not fully get to the councils for the development of the area.
He berated the peddlers of the allegation, describing it as a malicious and devilish one from uninformed source.
According to him there has never been any case of unaccountability from the local government councils on allocation received a development which can happen in other states.
The commissioner further said that it is statutory that first line charge payment from the allocation is payment of teachers’ salaries, five percent traditional rulers statutory allowances and pensions after which the local government chairmen are to develop their areas with the remainder which is sometimes meager.
Chief James however said that the state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is not interested in the money that comes to the local government account as he (governor) does not know what comes to local government account.
Reacting to the question of reduction in allocation, the commissioner said it is far beyond him as the short fall is directly traceable to the low price of crude oil in the international market.
