In the absence of any last-minute change of plan, Local Government Councils (LGCs) in Nigeria will begin to get direct allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) next month, reports The Nation.
The report says the direct receipt from the FAAC will end the delay in implementing the July 11 Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to LGCs.
A member of the Inter-Ministerial Committee established to enforce the Supreme Court judgment told The Nation’s correspondent that approval has been given for the direct FAAC allocations to Local Government Areas (LGAs) starting next month after all the issues have been resolved.
Since the judgment was delivered, the Federal Government has been working to ensure minimal disruption to state and local government operations.
The umbilical cord of the state/local government joint account into which council allocations are paid has been difficult to break because of subtle resistance by governors, many of whom have adhered to Constitutional provisions.
The source explained that though some councils have been collecting their allocation directly, the process will be fully operational by next month.
The committee member declined a request to name the councils that have been receiving direct allocations.
