Cross River LGAs Not Underfunded, We’re Enjoying Best Funding Under Otu — ALGON Chair Replies Jarvis 

The Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area and Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Cross River State, Chief Yibala Inyang, has dismissed claims that local governments in the state are being underfunded, insisting that councils are receiving adequate financial support under the administration of Governor Bassey Otu.

Inyang said the present administration had strengthened the relationship between the state government and local councils, giving local governments greater room to execute projects and intervene in critical sectors, including healthcare, sanitation, security and infrastructure.

He made the remarks while reacting to allegations of underfunding and worsening poverty at the grassroots level attributed to the factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sir Arthur Jarvis, during a press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Calabar on Thursday.

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The ALGON chairman described the allegations as unfounded, arguing that the performance of local governments across the state was evidence that council funds were being properly utilised.

“That’s a total fallacy because the local governments are having the best in terms of funding,” Inyang said.

“In this administration, we have power to the level that local governments are doing projects and partnering with the state to intervene in critical areas such as health, sanitation, local security and infrastructural development.”

According to him, local government funds are being distributed equitably and utilised for their intended purposes, while the joint account arrangement between the state and local governments has helped some councils meet their financial obligations.

He said the arrangement had also contributed to the regular payment of salaries across the 18 local government areas.

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

Inyang argued that local government autonomy should not be judged merely by the structure through which funds are accessed, but by the ability of councils to receive and utilise resources effectively for the benefit of residents.

He added that the projects being executed across the state were evidence that local government funds were being deployed for development.

Speaking about projects in Yakurr, Inyang said the council had embarked on several interventions across its 13 wards based on identified needs within the communities.

He listed the construction of roads, drainages and culverts, rehabilitation of public facilities and empowerment programmes among the projects being undertaken by the council.

According to him, the council has completed several culverts in Ekori, constructed a mini-bridge in Nko, rehabilitated the Nko Modern Market and commenced the construction of a modern market in Ekori.

He also disclosed that the council had undertaken the construction of culverts around Ijom, near the General Hospital in Ugep, including a double-decker culvert that had collapsed shortly after his administration assumed office.

“We have done one or two projects in almost 12 of them, based on the NEEDS assessment. Most of them are drainages that are in 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,” he said.

Inyang further said the council was constructing a new primary healthcare centre in Ijiman Ward, Ugep, through a partnership between the local government and the community.

He added that the construction of a mini pavilion at the Ugep Stadium had been completed, while another pavilion in Mkpani was nearing completion.

The council, he said, had also rehabilitated the Ugep Stadium and was preparing to commence the rehabilitation of structures in some schools.

He noted that the state government was complementing the efforts of the local councils through major road projects in Ugep, with Ekori and Idomi expected to benefit from similar interventions.

On security, the ALGON chairman said council chairmen had played important roles in managing security challenges within their respective areas.

He said the partnership between local governments and the state government had helped address communal conflicts and other security concerns that could have escalated into wider threats.

According to him, the 18 local government areas make up the state, making cooperation essential whenever an issue in one council has the potential to affect neighbouring communities.

“We have had a healthy partnership with the state in handling sensitive issues that may have been too peculiar for local governments alone to run. This is the partnership we are talking about that is keeping the whole state safe,” he said.

Inyang urged politicians seeking elective positions in 2027 to move away from what he described as politics of blackmail and misinformation.

He challenged opposition politicians to identify areas where the Otu administration had fallen short and explain how they would perform better if elected.

He cited the administration’s reported achievements in areas including the recovery of Tinapa and agricultural estates, as well as the state’s efforts in the oil sector, as milestones he said should be acknowledged.

“Let them tell us what we’ve not done and how well they’ll do it if given the opportunity,” he said.

Reacting specifically to Arthur Jarvis’ political ambition and his reported one-term promise, Inyang questioned the academician’s experience in governance.

“I don’t think he is fit to run half a term, not to talk of one full term,” Inyang said.

He argued that governing a state required broader political and administrative experience, insisting that running an educational institution was different from managing the affairs of an entire state.

The ALGON chairman, however, praised Governor Otu’s administration, describing the governor as a prudent administrator with a people-oriented approach to governance.

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