President Muhammadu Buhari has accused Governors of pocketing funds accruing to Local Government Councils in Nigeria.

He stated that this behaviour encourages corruption at the Local Government system, thereby inhibiting development at the grassroots.

Mr Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity said President Buhari made the allegation at a parley with members of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) No. 44 (2022) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru on Thursday in Abuja.

The President who cited examples said: “What they did, this is my personal experience, if the money from the Federation Account to the State is about N100 million, N50 million will be sent to the Chairman but he will sign that he received N100 million. The Governor will pocket the balance and share it with whoever he wants to share it with.

‘‘And then the Chairman of the local government must see how much he must pay in salaries and to hell with development. When he pays the salaries of the bigman, the balance he will put in his pocket.
“This is what’s happening. This is Nigeria. It’s a terrible thing; you cannot say the person who was doing this is not educated”, Buhari said.

The statement also said Buhari urged public office holders to be guided by their conscience and personal integrity wherever they find themselves.

Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof Ayo Omotayo, said the Course participants undertook study tours of 14 States of the Federation, six African Countries and six Countries outside Africa, with a view to strengthen and develop workable options to be considered by government in strengthening Local governance.

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