The Chairman, Nigerian Governors Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari, on Friday said none of his colleagues had the right to touch local government’s funds.
Yari made this assertion in a chat with State House correspondents shortly after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the NGF chairman, Section 7 of the Constitution saddled the state Houses of Assembly with the responsibility of managing states’ finances.
Yari said to the best of his understanding as a governor, the purpose of joint accounts between states and local governments was not to hold on to funds meant for the councils.
He expressed doubts that any state government was holding on to funds meant for councils, insisting that such situation is illegal.
Yari said, “I doubt if there is any state that is holding any local government funds.
“What used to happen in Zamfara State is, may be, if we have a project, we agree on how to execute it.
“So, no governor has the right to touch local government’s money.
“Although there are speculations that some states are holding local government money, maybe because there are no election in those local governments, it is administrators, but constitutionally, it is the right of local government which must be exercised”.
Yari also disclosed that his administration was making progress in terms of security, adding that security agents had recovered over 3,000 herds and 5,000 camels earlier stolen in the state.
