According to findings from the audit reports for 2019, 2020, and 2021, the Kaduna State Government withheld N17.6 billion, or 10% of the statutory allotment, from the state's 23 councils.The State's Local Government Area Councils are legally entitled to ten percent of any state-produced money that is internally generated. These monies are allocated for a number of vital purposes, including building and maintaining public infrastructure, paying for healthcare and education, supplying clean water, assisting with the development of agriculture and markets, advancing social welfare, guaranteeing public safety, controlling the environment, and encouraging community development.
According to the 2019 audit report, Kaduna State generated N76.2 billion in internal revenue (IGR). N7.6 billion of this total is the statutory and required 10% allotment to the 23 Local Government Councils. The audit study, however, shows that the Local Government Councils were not given their just share.
In the same way, the state's IGR in 2020 was N48.9 billion. Ten percent of the allotment, or N4.8 billion, was due to the Councils. However, according to the audit report, they got nothing from the IGR.
Similarly, the state recorded an IGR of N52.4 billion overall in 2021. N5.2 billion is the mandatory 10% allotment for the LGs from this IGR. The audit report emphasizes once more that the LGAs got nothing from the IGR.
The Ministry of Finance faced a number of unforeseen difficulties as a result of its investigation into the non-remittance of the 10% statutory allocation to the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State. Armed with recorded proof from this official report, our reporter's investigation was directed by the state government's inability to remit these allocations, as stated in the Kaduna State audit report.
Image 20231226-123620
When our reporter arrived at Shizza Joy Bada, the commissioner of finance's office, she discovered that the commissioner was not there. Almost immediately, a FOI-backed letter with all the required contact details and a thorough explanation of the inquiries about the failure to remit 10 percent of IGR was submitted. But an opinionated employee of the office quickly stopped the attempt to have the letter collected and acknowledged, telling us not to collect the original copy or stamp the acknowledgment that was brought.
After being left in the dark, our reporter quickly sought advice from Abdulkareem Sulieman, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ministry, whose contact details were fortunately within reach. He gave our reporter instructions over the phone to contact the Permanent Secretary's office in order to request an audience in order to gather the necessary information, but when our reporter arrived, an aide on behalf of the Secretary met with him.
After speaking with the assistant, she led our reporter back to the Commissioner's office and told the staff to accept the letter. But shortly after recognition, someone else quietly told the assistant to get our reporter's acknowledged letter. Later, the letter was stolen, and a copy that had been produced again but without an official stamp was given.
The Permanent Secretary refused to see our reporter, even after he gave the order to have the recognized letter retrieved, thus attempts to meet him were ineffective.
Our reporter tried reaching the Ministry via email by using other methods, but she hasn't heard back yet. In a similar vein, the PRO has not responded to a follow-up message that was sent over WhatsApp and included a copy of the letter that was previously rejected.
Additionally, attempts were made to get in touch with the state's current and former chairmen of local governments.
Fortunately, after multiple tries, Hadiza Ladi Yahuza, the former Sole Administrator of Chikun Council, answered the Guardian's call. She declined to provide vital information regarding the statutory allocation over the phone and referred the Guardian's questions to the Ministries of Finance and Local Governments.
"I left the office about two years ago," she stated. It is inappropriate for me to start chatting to a stranger while lounging in the comforts of my home.
A few of my coworkers are still seated. The governor had sent me in as an interim administrator to clean the place. I used the little resources I had to do the tasks for which I was assigned when I was drafted in to work there.
For further information, she did, however, advise the Guardian to get in touch with the chairman of Kaduna South and ALGON.
There was no success in reaching Honorable Shuaibu Bawa Jaja, the chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON). Parallel to this, a letter was sent to Jaja asking questions regarding the steps the Councils are taking to get the backlog of allotments and contact information. The letter is still pending a response.
Attempts to contact Honorable Kabir Jarimi, the chairman of the Kaduna South Council, through phone calls also proved unsuccessful.
Yusuf Goje, a member of the Civil Society Organization (CSO) with a base in Kaduna, also brought attention to the continuing negotiations with the government to ensure the proper distribution and the nonpayment of the LGAs in an interview with the Guardian. Goje emphasized how the non-release of funding has a negative effect on the budget performance of the LGAs.
"We have been engaging with the government and we have kept on writing about this (10% allocation to LGAs)," Goje stated.We discussed the local government's independent revenue stream as well as the mandatory 10% allotment to the LGAs. Once each LGA receives its allotment on a regular basis, improvements will be made to the PHC, schools, feeder roads, and water supply.