A constitutional crisis is brewing in Ondo State as shocking revelations emerge about the state government's handling of local government allocations. Legal practitioner and civil society advocate Ade Ajulo has exposed what appears to be systematic withholding of funds meant for the 18 local government areas in the state.
Constitutional Breach Exposed
During an appearance on Channels Television's Morning Brief program on October 28, 2025, Barrister Ajulo presented alarming figures that have sparked widespread concern. According to his investigation, local governments receiving allocations exceeding N400 million are having less than N10 million actually released to them for use.
This represents a retention rate of over 97% by the state government, leaving local councils with merely 2.5% of their constitutionally guaranteed funds. If these figures are accurate, this practice constitutes not just financial mismanagement but a direct violation of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution.
Questionable Justification for Fund Warehousing
The state government, through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Amidu Takuro, has reportedly defended this practice by claiming they are warehousing these funds for capital projects. However, legal experts and concerned citizens have rejected this justification as untenable and unconstitutional.
The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria clearly recognizes local governments as a distinct and independent tier of government with autonomous fiscal responsibilities. By unilaterally deciding to warehouse local government funds, the Ondo State government has effectively positioned itself as the sole administrator over all 18 local government areas.
This action blatantly violates both the spirit and letter of the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, which outlines the statutory functions and fiscal responsibilities of local governments.
Democratic and Developmental Consequences
The implications of this fund withholding extend far beyond constitutional technicalities. Local government chairmen elected by the people are being reduced to mere subordinates of the commissioner's office, creating what critics describe as a travesty of democratic governance.
With access to less than 2.5% of their allocations, how can local government chairmen effectively address pressing community needs? The paralysis affects critical services including:
- Maintenance of primary healthcare centers
- Rehabilitation of rural roads
- Management of primary schools
- Environmental sanitation programs
This systematic disempowerment of local governments leaves them as toothless bulldogs incapable of delivering tangible development at the grassroots level. The practice deliberately stifles development, particularly in rural and semi-urban communities, thereby entrenching poverty and underdevelopment.
Furthermore, the central control of local government funds erodes accountability. Citizens are left wondering who to hold responsible for the absence of projects in their communities—the faceless state bureaucrats or the local government chairmen who have been denied access to their lawful resources.
Retired Professor Sunday Ayodele Enikanselu, who wrote from Lagos, has joined Barrister Ajulo and other concerned citizens in demanding immediate corrective action from the Ondo State government. They emphasize that the primary purpose of local government allocations is to bring governance and development closest to the people, a purpose being fundamentally undermined by the current practice.
