The Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area and Cross River State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Chief Yibala Inyang, has dismissed claims that local governments in the state are being starved of funds, insisting that the councils are adequately funded under Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
Inyang said the Otu administration had strengthened collaboration between the state and local governments, enabling councils to undertake development projects and interventions in critical areas including healthcare, sanitation, security and infrastructure.
He spoke against the backdrop of claims by the factional Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis, that inadequate funding of local governments was contributing to worsening poverty at the grassroots.
Jarvis made the claims at a press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Secretariat in Calabar.
Reacting, Inyang described the allegations as unfounded, insisting that council funds were being properly utilised for development and the welfare of workers and residents.
“That’s a total fallacy because the local governments are having the best in terms of funding. In this administration, we have power to the level that local governments are doing projects and partnering with the state to intervene in critical areas such as health, sanitation, local security and infrastructural development,” he said.
The ALGON chairman explained that the financial arrangement between the state and local governments had enabled councils to meet their obligations, including the payment of salaries and running costs, particularly during periods of reduced allocations.
He said local government autonomy should be assessed not merely by financial separation, but by the ability of councils to access resources, utilise them responsibly, pay workers and deliver development to their communities.
“Being autonomous in a system entails accessing your funds as at when due, utilising it properly and ensuring all staff of local governments get their due and carrying out welfare for the people.
“To me, autonomy is just semantics. It is the performance and the dividends that accrue therefrom that are most important,” he said.
Inyang maintained that the Otu administration had provided councils with sufficient room to execute projects directly in their communities while partnering with the state government on major interventions.
“This is the first time in the history of Cross River that you have a governor who allows funds meant for local governments to be used to carry out developmental projects and interventions in our various wards,” he said.
He challenged those alleging diversion of council funds to produce evidence to substantiate their claims.
“So, I do not know why anybody should allege that local government funds are being diverted. To where?” he asked.
Giving an account of his administration in Yakurr, Inyang said the council had implemented projects across most of its 13 wards based on identified community needs.
He said the projects included road construction, drainage works and culverts aimed at improving rural transportation and facilitating the movement of agricultural produce from farms to communities and markets.
According to him, the council had constructed several culverts in Ekori and a mini bridge in Nko, Abanghankpai Ward.
He also listed the rehabilitation of the Nko Modern Market in Nkpolo Ward and the ongoing construction of a modern market in Ekori among projects executed by the council.
Inyang said the council had equally constructed culverts around Ijom, near the General Hospital in Ugep, including the rehabilitation of a major double decker culvert that had collapsed.
He disclosed that a new primary healthcare centre was being constructed in Ijiman Ward, Ugep, through a partnership between the council and the community.
The council chairman added that a mini pavilion at Ugep Stadium had been completed, while a similar project in Mkpani was nearing completion.
He said the council had also rehabilitated the Ugep Stadium, particularly its drainage system, while preparations were underway to commence the rehabilitation of facilities in some public schools.
According to him, the state government was complementing the efforts of the councils through major road projects in Ugep Urban, with Ekori and Idomi expected to benefit subsequently.
Inyang said similar projects were being implemented by other local governments across the state, describing the developments as evidence that council funds were being deployed for grassroots development.
He urged opposition politicians to base their criticisms on verifiable facts and present alternative policies rather than resorting to what he described as blackmail and misinformation.
“We can’t play politics with what you can’t prove with evidence. Politicians who are looking for favour should be objective and stop subtle blackmail and old style of propaganda,” he said.
On the claim that local governments were contributing to worsening poverty at the grassroots, Inyang said council workers were receiving their salaries and other entitlements.
“Since we came on board at local government, we’ve been paying imprest to all of the civil servants, salaries have been paid completely and no local government is owing,” he said.
Addressing security challenges, the ALGON chairman said council chairmen had continued to play important roles in managing communal conflicts and other security concerns within their jurisdictions.
He attributed the resolution of several communal disputes to cooperation between local governments and the state government.
“Most of the communal clashes that have been common before now have been put to rest due to the huge support from the state government,” he said.
Inyang explained that collaboration among the 18 local government areas was essential because a security challenge in one council could quickly spread to neighbouring areas and eventually become a wider state concern.
He therefore advised politicians seeking elective positions in 2027 to focus on presenting practical alternatives to the electorate.
“For opposition politicians seeking political offices in 2027, they should outgrow this politics of blackmail, politics of misinformation and focus on what they think they can do better.
“If they really have the interest of this state, if they think they really want to govern this state, let them tell us what we’ve not done and how well they’ll do it if given the opportunity,” he said.
The Yakurr council chairman also cited the administration’s interventions concerning Tinapa, agricultural estates and the oil well dispute as developments that he said deserved recognition.
On Jarvis’ advocacy for a single term in office, Inyang questioned the aspirant’s preparedness for the responsibilities associated with governing a state.
“I don’t think he is fit to run half a term, not to talk of one full term. Arthur Jarvis should first prove that he can run government, not running a school,” he said.
According to him, effective governance at the state level requires extensive political, administrative and public service experience.
Inyang concluded by commending Governor Otu for what he described as prudent administration and people oriented governance, saying the governor’s record in office demonstrated his capacity to continue leading Cross River State.