
Osun State House of Assembly has said it would resist attempts to substitute authorised signatories to local government accounts in the state.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the plenary by the lawmakers on Thursday, as they vowed to resist, report, and reverse any lawful substitution with unauthorised persons, saying such would constitute an attempt to divert public funds.
At the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, the members, in their various submissions, expressed concerns over an alleged attempt to replace authorised signatories to LG accounts in the state.
In the resolution passed at the sitting, the lawmakers condemned the alleged attempt by the Central Bank of Nigeria to process and allow some individuals claiming to be chairmen and councillors, to operate Local Government accounts.
Such action is a direct affront to the laws of Osun State and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); That this House further affirms that, by law, only duly appointed career officers namely, the Director of Finance and the Director of Administration and General Services are authorised signatories to Local Government accounts, as stipulated in Section 14.0 of the 2025 Guidelines for the Administration of Local Government Areas in Osun State.
“The Bank Confirmation and Schedule shall only be valid when endorsed by the Head of Local Government Administration and the Chairman, as further required by law.; That any attempt to substitute these officers with unauthorised persons is not only unlawful but constitutes an attempt to divert public funds, and this House shall take all lawful measures to resist, report, and reverse such infractions.
“That pursuant to Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, this Honourable House re-affirms that only February 22nd, 2025 democratically elected Local Government Chairmen and Councillors in Osun State are legitimate and constitutionally recognised custodians of local government mandate and affairs;
“That any purported recognition or installation of individuals whose tenure arose from the annulled October 15, 2022 local government elections, and who now falsely claim reinstatement by the Court of Appeal is unconstitutional, null and void, and without legal effect,” a release containing the resolutions reached at the sitting, signed by the Speaker read.
The Assembly also expressed concern over the non-release of Local Government statutory allocations in Osun State and called on the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance to immediately release all outstanding allocations through the lawful Local Government Accounts.
The statement further read, “That this Honourable House strongly condemns any attempt by unauthorised persons to approach the Central Bank of Nigeria for any transaction relating to Local Government Funds, which constitutes a breach of constitutional and statutory financial architecture; and
“That this Honourable House pledges to enforce the aforementioned resolutions by legal, legislative and constitutional means, including litigation, to protect the integrity of local government funds and the proper implementation of local government financial autonomy.”