ALGON lauds El-Rufai for abolishing State Joint Account Committee
Fatimah Abdullahi
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), has applauded Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State for abolishing the State Joint Account Committee (JAC).
El-Rufai had on Monday, cancelled usual JAC meetings (where LGS chairmen and Commissioner for LG, Commissioner for Finance and Accountant-General do meet and share LGS allocations) and announced that his government would henceforth be remitting 10 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to local government councils in the state.
ALGON made this commendation on Thursday in a statement signed by its Mr Micah Jiba and Alhaji Shittu Yakmut, National President and Secretary General of the Association respectively.
The association in the statement described the action of the governor as courageous, progressive and exemplary, adding that the abolition would encourage speedy development at the grassroots in the state.
It said: “The singular action of the Kaduna state governor in abolishing the JAC is a progressive and courageous decision.
“The committee was meant to ensure prudent and equitable disbursement of Federal Revenue Allocation between the states and Local Government Councils but was later abused by most governors”.
In the association opinion, the action would ensure financial autonomy at the local government councils.
It added that JAC was established to ensure equitable distribution of the federal revenue allocation between states and local government but regretted that it had been abused.
The statement urged all other state governors to emulate El-Rufai’s action in order to ensure the success of change advocacy of the new administration.
On the dissolution of local governments in some states, ALGON said: “We condemn the unilateral dissolution of some elected Local Government Councils by some governors in the face of court orders against such decisions.
“The affected local governments should pursue their legal rights to logical conclusion.
“This is more so when there is a subsisting Supreme Court decision against the removal of elected officials when their tenures have not expired”.
According to it, the process of removing elected officers was clearly stated in the Constitution of the country or existing laws in respects of local government administration.
