ALGON to Jarvis: C’River LGAs Enjoy Robust Funding

By Judex OKORO

The Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area and Cross River State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Chief Yibala Inyang, has dismissed claims that local governments in the state are being underfunded, saying councils are enjoying robust funding and a strong partnership with Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration.

Inyang said the administration had empowered local governments to execute projects and collaborate with the state government in critical areas, including healthcare, sanitation, security and infrastructure.

He spoke while reacting to allegations of underfunding of local governments made by the factional Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis, at a press conference held on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Secretariat in Calabar.

The ALGON chairman described the allegation as unfounded and urged politicians seeking elective offices in 2027 to base their campaigns on verifiable facts rather than misinformation.

Speaking on the allegation of underfunding and deepening poverty at the grassroots, Inyang said, “That’s a total fallacy because the local governments are having the best in terms of funding.

“In this administration, we have the power to execute projects, partner with the state to intervene in critical areas such as health, sanitation, local security and infrastructural development.

“Local government funds are meant for the development of the local governments and the funds are properly utilised for their purpose. These developments are as a result of healthy partnership, which is necessitated by the need to ensure there is even development of our various LGAs in the state.”

He explained that the partnership was strengthened by an enabling law providing for a joint account between the state and local governments.

“Without the joint account, some LGAs won’t be able to pay salaries and handle running costs in some months because of low allocation. That’s the reason why, in this administration, no LGA is owing salary in the state,” he said.

Inyang added that local government autonomy should be measured by the ability of councils to access and properly utilise their funds, pay workers and deliver services to the people.

“To me, autonomy is just semantics. The performance and the dividends that accrue therefrom are the most important things.

“That’s why I said local government funds have been equitably distributed and well circulated around the local governments. We are not starved of any funds. The local governments have been utilising project funds as and when due.”

According to him, the Otu administration had created an environment where local governments could deploy funds to developmental projects across their communities.

“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.

“So, I do not know why anybody should allege that local government funds are being diverted. To where?” he asked.

On projects executed in Yakurr, Inyang said the council had implemented projects across most of its 13 wards based on identified needs.

“If you go to Yakurr Local Government, for instance, you see massive road construction still going on. There are interventions and rehabilitation of facilities, as well as empowerment of all sorts, going on at the local government.

“I have 13 council wards and I have done one or two projects in almost 12 of them, based on needs assessment. Most of them are drainages on the major farm roads and culverts that have been making it difficult to evacuate agricultural products to our communities and ease transportation of these agro products from our farms.

“We have done many culverts in Ekori. We have done a mini bridge in Nko, Abanghankpai Ward. We have rehabilitated the Nko Modern Market in Nkpolo Ward, while we are in the process of completing the construction of a modern market in Ekori.

“Besides, we have done a lot of construction of culverts in Ijom, near the General Hospital in Ugep, including a double decker culvert that collapsed immediately we came on board.”

Continuing, the council chairman said the local government was also investing in healthcare, education, sports and other community infrastructure.

“We are constructing a new primary healthcare centre in Ijiman Ward in Ugep through community and local government partnership. The construction of a mini pavilion in the Ugep Stadium is completed, while the one in Mkpani community is near completion.

“We are about to kickstart the rehabilitation of some structures in most of our schools. We have rehabilitated the stadium at Ugep. There was no drainage to direct water, but we have done all that.

“The state government is complementing the councils as it has embarked on major road projects in Ugep urban, while Ekori and Idomi are next on the line.”

Inyang said the activities of other local governments across the state also demonstrated that councils were deploying available resources to meet the needs of their people.

“It will also interest you to know that many other LGAs in the state have also done several projects in their various communities to confirm the utilisation of local government funds.

“For me, 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 further said the administration had improved the operating environment for local governments.

“There are lots of things that we never saw before happening in the local government system that are happening now under this administration. Nobody has ever held us hostage in getting the funds that we are required to handle the running of our local government.

“Everything has been going on smoothly and we feel that this government should be encouraged to do more,” he stated.

On claims of deepening poverty at the local government level, Inyang said the allegation was unsupported by facts, insisting that salaries and imprest had been paid.

“Since we came on board at the local government, we have been paying imprest to all the civil servants, salaries have been paid completely and no local government is owing.

“If anybody is saying so, they should bring out facts and show how far the local government is owing,” he said.

On security, the Yakurr council chairman said local governments had continued to play important roles in maintaining peace and preventing communal conflicts.

He said, “Council chairmen have played major roles in the security management of their local governments. You can attest that 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.

“There has been a healthy partnership with the state in handling sensitive issues that may have been too peculiar for local governments alone to handle. This is the partnership we are talking about that is keeping the whole state safe.

“You know the 18 local governments make up the state. When you allow issues to spill over from one local government to another, it snowballs into a state threat.

“So, it is in our own interest to partner in resolving most of the crises that we know are beyond the local governments to handle. So, I think in terms of security, we have been doing our best.”

Inyang advised opposition politicians seeking elective offices in 2027 to focus on presenting alternative policies rather than attacking the administration.

“For opposition politicians seeking political offices in 2027, they should outgrow this politics of blackmail and 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 have not done and how well they will do it if given the opportunity.

“In terms of development, this present administration has attracted so much development, including the oil well case. They have got back Tinapa and our agricultural estates. These are all milestones, among others, to be proud of.

“But when you go lying publicly in order to appease people, you rather ridicule the whole essence of why you are coming out to govern the state.”

On Jarvis’ one term campaign promise, Inyang said the PDP factional candidate lacked the experience required to govern the 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 run a school.

“Governance of a state is more in depth and requires enough experience and exposure in various political and public offices of high repute.

“Our governor, His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, has demonstrated the qualities of a prudent administrator with a people oriented governance mentality. His achievements within this first tenure can attest to the fact that he is the real person Cross River State deserves at the moment,” he concluded.

The Beagle News