Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, has denied allegations that the state government diverted local government funds, saying the claims were politically motivated and not supported by the state’s financial records.
Fanwo, speaking at a news conference in Abuja, said recent accusations by the Igala Youth Council (IYC) and some civil society organisations were “untrue, baseless and deliberately orchestrated to mislead the public.”
The IYC had on Nov. 20 led a protest in Abuja alleging persistent interference in local government finances, despite constitutional provisions guaranteeing financial autonomy for Nigeria’s 774 local councils.
Fanwo said the state government does not tamper with local government allocations and that each of Kogi’s 21 local councils manages its own payroll, contracts and development programmes.
“Local government autonomy is real and fully operational in Kogi,” he said. “The governor does not interfere with local government funds. Any claim to the contrary is politically motivated.”
The commissioner added that all councils publish their financial statements on the state’s official website, and that the information is accessible to journalists, civil society groups and the public. He challenged critics to provide evidence showing that any other Nigerian state runs a more transparent reporting system.
Fanwo also highlighted recent development projects across the 21 councils, including the construction and expansion of primary healthcare centres, rehabilitation of water facilities, installation of solar systems, and skills-training programmes for young people in compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion and installation.
He said Governor Usman Ododo’s administration remains focused on infrastructure, security, salary payments and rural development.
Tosin Olokun, chairman of Yagba West Local Government and head of the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), also dismissed the allegations. He said councils receive their full allocations and have used them to pay salaries, pensions and long-overdue gratuities, while funding road projects and healthcare improvements.
