The Senate has passed the first reading of the “Local Government Fiscal Accountability Bill 2024 (SB. 549)”, a legislation aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in local government administration. The bill, sponsored by Senator Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central), seeks to mandate the publication of monthly allocations to all local government areas from the Federation Account.
In a post-plenary session briefing on Tuesday, Senator Mustapha emphasized that the bill’s passage into law would foster public trust and confidence in local government administrations, leading to more effective and rapid development in rural areas and reduced rural-urban migration.
“I firmly believe that this transparency will lead to more effective and rapid development in our rural areas. As we all know, Local Government Administration is the closest arm of government to the people. By opening up their revenues to public scrutiny, we will drive development across rural areas and reduce rural-urban migration.
“Moreover, since Local Government Chairmen do not have constitutional immunity, publishing their revenues will encourage them to utilize funds wisely”, he said.
The lawmaker added that “As the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, my goal is to motivate Local Government administrations to develop rural areas. I am confident that this bill will achieve its intended purpose and contribute to the growth and development of our nation”.
Upon enactment, the bill will mandate the Federal Ministry of Finance and its relevant agencies to publicly disclose and publish the monthly allocations to all Local Government Areas across the country, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability in the distribution of funds.