Some of them receive over ₦400 million every 30 days, That money belongs to the people-Ugochinyere

In a recent report on ESET TV, Federal lawmaker Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere has expressed deep concern over the alleged misuse and lack of impact of local government allocations, particularly in Nigeria’s North and South regions, calling for urgent accountability and reform in the administration of local government funds.

In a strongly worded statement, Ugochinyere decried the absence of basic infrastructure in communities despite the substantial monthly allocations received by local governments from the Federation Account.

He said, “No matter what they are doing, it's important to understand that the money sent to those local governments especially in the North and South belongs to the people, Some of them receive over ₦400 million every 30 days. That money belongs to the people, and they must feel the impact of those resources. It's a must. It's not a favor.”

Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato Federal Constituency in Imo State, lamented the worsening conditions in many communities, noting that basic amenities such as clean water, schools, and electricity are virtually non-existent.

He said, “We cannot continue to live in the bushes, with our people being murdered and killed, and still not get ordinary pure water from the local government system, By virtue of being from a local government area, you're entitled to benefit from development that comes from that money.”

He painted a dire picture of the state of public services in his constituency, saying: “Today, we don’t have water boreholes in most of these communities. We don’t have transformers. We don’t have schools. Our schools have collapsed.”

While acknowledging his role as a federal legislator, Ugochinyere expressed frustration over being forced to step beyond his constitutional duties to address the vacuum left by non-functional local governments. “As a federal lawmaker, my responsibility is to make laws and represent my people. But now I’m on the street every day sinking boreholes I have about 24 running now installing transformers, renovating schools, and providing solar backup for students in Catholic and Anglican boarding schools, And that is distracting me.”

The lawmaker issued a strong call for the restoration and functionality of local governments, insisting that they must resume their statutory duties of grassroots governance and service delivery. “Our communities don’t have functioning local government systems anymore, We are demanding that local governments start performing their constitutional roles to support the people. This money belongs to the people. They must feel it. It is not negotiable.”