In Rivers State, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is facing mounting challenges, with the state chapter of the Association of Local Government Areas of Nigeria (ALGON) accusing him of withholding funds allocated to the 23 LGAs in the state.
According to ALGON, Governor Fubara’s actions have hindered the council’s ability to carry out their duties, with the LG chairmen likening the situation to the abolition of local government councils in the state.
The LG chairmen expressed support for the call for Governor Fubara’s impeachment by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Okocha. Okocha had urged the Martins Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Governor.
During a press briefing in Port Harcourt, Allwell Ihunda, the State ALGON Chairman and Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, stated, “It has come to the notice of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, that the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has neglected, failed, and deliberately refused to hold the statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting which is the prerequisite for the release and disbursement of funds due to the local government in the State Joint Local Government Accounts.”
ALGON accused the Governor of withholding statutory allocations due to the 23 local government councils of Rivers State since April 2024, and in the case of Emuoha LGA, since March 2024, “for no just cause, thereby starving the third tier of the government of the funds required to discharge its statutory functions in the administration of the local government areas.”
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