Anti-graft groups in Kogi have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the 2024 and 2025 financial dealings of five local government areas in the state.

The groups said the five local government areas are Adavi, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, and Yagba East.

The African Transparency Initiative (ATI) and Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) made the call at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

Taiwo Otitolaye, ATI’s executive director, said, “We demand an immediate and full-scale investigation into the massive misappropriation of statutory allocations meant for the five local government areas of Kogi State.’’

“The five LGAs are entitled to N3–N5 billion each for the 2024/2025fiscal year. Yet, communities continue to suffer from dilapidated roads, non-functional health centres, and a severe lack of basic services.

“We organise this press conference to place the facts before the public, demand urgent EFCC intervention, and mobilise media and civil society to act,” the ATI boss said.

According to him, the group’s research on the piloted five local government areas revealed that the total allocation for the five LGAs for the 2024/2025 fiscal year was N15–N25 billion.

“Salary and statutory overheads consume only 15 per cent – 26 per cent, leaving 74 per cent – 84 per cent, equivalent to N11–N21 billion unaccounted for.

“Eighty-seven per cent of 1,200 residents rate service delivery as very poor, while 20 per cent describe the councils as nonexistent,” Mr Otitolaye said.

Mr Otitolaye said field verification shows that primary health centres are poorly functional, with zero tarred roads, and only three per cent of water projects in place.

He alleged that the allocations have been systematically diverted by former and current local government chairmen, treasurers, and associated officials.

“At the helm of the local government are the local government chairman and treasurer. So, these are the financial stakeholders in the local government.

“So, if the EFCC can go to those local governments and investigate and invite those chairmen and treasurers, it will be good,” the ATI boss said.

Also speaking, Lukman Adefolahan, chief operating officer of the 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative, said the group submitted the petition to the EFCC to assist and request that it take action.

“We want EFCC to take action and list it to citizens of Nigeria and let them take this as a pilot to give them the true picture of what is happening across the 774 local governments in terms of spending of public resources.

“Yes, the call still stands because we want the anti-corruption agencies, including the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation, to work collaboratively with other anti-corruption agencies and be steadfast in their auditing process, not to delay the auditing process.

“We are also calling on the Technical Unit of Governance and Anti-Corruption Reform, which is saddled with the responsibility of coordinating the Inter-Agency Tax Reform, to support anti-corruption agencies to deliver on their mandates by welcoming petitions from Nigerians,” Mr Adefolahan said.

Shina Loremikan, country director (Nigeria), ATI, who said confronting corruption could be done horizontally and vertically, said he expected the EFCC to review the petition and take immediate action.

“We know there is a means of communication with the EFCC, and that is what we are engaging. We have written a petition.

“We have submitted to the office of the chairman. We expect it to be reviewed and immediate action to be taken because the whole world is watching us,” Mr Loremikan said.

(NAN)