The Federal Government has vowed to jail any serving local government chairman or councilor who embezzles the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee allocations for LGs.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi gave the warning on Thursday at the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) lectures in Abuja.
His comments trailed the recent Supreme Court judgment endorsing Local Government financial autonomy.
According to Fagbemi, the Chairman and Councillors were without immunity hence they could be charged in court over corruption.
He urged local government Chairmen and Councillors to choose the path of transparency rather than corruption.
“Well, we have a situation on our hands, I know that it is still there; the conduct of elections is to be undertaken by the states.
“But the distinction is this: don’t forget, the governors have immunity, the local government council chairmen or councilors, have no immunity, so they have to choose between dealing with the funds of the local government as they like and risking going to jail. The choice is theirs (LG chairmen).
“If they want to tamper with these funds and end up in jail, it is their choice. Or if they want to write their names in letters of gold, activities like construction or upgrading of roads must return to the local government. They don’t all have to come to Abuja.”
On July 11, the apex court in a landmark judgment endorsed full autonomy for the 774 local governments in the country.
