A councillor in Abia State has accused the state government of seizing control of local government finances, alleging that the move has deepened poverty and eroded public trust in grassroots governance.
Victor Ngwakwe, councillor representing Osokwa Ward in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, said on Friday that widespread hunger across Abia State was partly due to the government’s “tight control of local government funds”.
Ngwakwe, who also serves as the Leader of the 7th Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council, warned that confidence in local representatives was waning, especially among elderly voters who feel neglected by the system.
“Public confidence in local representatives is fading, particularly among elderly voters who no longer trust their councillors to deliver on campaign promises,” the Labour Party (LP) lawmaker said.
“Our people are not asking for much. They just want the basic things the government is supposed to do for them. The grassroots don’t know the people at the state level — they only have access to their councillors, who unfortunately have no funds to work with.”
Ngwakwe accused the state government of breaching the 1999 Constitution by allegedly denying councils the autonomy to manage their funds.
“Everything is done at the government house in Umuahia, which is against what’s clearly stated in the constitution,” he said.
“It’s only in Abia that this section of the law is implemented 100% against local councils. Whatever you see any councillor doing now is either funded personally or supported by a friend or political boss.”
The councillor insisted that funds allocated to his council were sufficient to deliver visible projects if properly managed but claimed they remain under state control.
“The funds allocated to Osisioma Ngwa are enough to show that we care for our people. But I must be clear — Abia State controls the local government money, and we don’t have access to our monthly allocations,” he added.
The Abia State government has not yet responded to the allegation as of the time of filing this report.
