The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered more than N5.3 billion from local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following a review of their financial records.
The commission said it was collaborating with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to ensure that all 774 local government areas across the country publish their financial records and other relevant information online as part of efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability at the grassroots.
Musa Aliyu, ICPC Chairman, disclosed this during the launch of the ICPC-NITDA Local Government Websites Pilot in Nasarawa State.
According to a statement on Thursday by John Odey, Spokesman of the commission, the initiative is designed to improve public access to information on local government finances and strengthen mechanisms for preventing corruption through digital disclosure.
Aliyu said the recovery of more than N5.3 billion from local government accounts across seven states and the FCT highlighted the financial risks associated with the management of public funds at the grassroots level and the importance of regular scrutiny.
“The ICPC has recovered over N5.3 billion from a review of local government accounts in seven states and the Federal Capital Territory, and is now moving to make councils across the country publish their finances online.
“The recoveries show both the scale of the risk at the grassroots and what scrutiny can achieve, and the websites are the preventive side of the same effort,” he said.
He noted that the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local government councils and the direct payment of their statutory allocations had further increased the need for accountability in the management of public funds.
According to him, the financial autonomy granted to councils must be accompanied by transparency in the use of public resources to ensure that allocations are deployed for the benefit of residents.
“Autonomy brings responsibility. Funds that now flow directly to the councils must be spent openly and for the benefit of the people,” he said.
The ICPC chairman explained that the proposed websites would serve as platforms for public disclosure, requiring local government councils to publish information covering their budgets, statutory allocations, internally generated revenue, expenditure, audit reports, debts, procurement processes and human resources.
The platforms would also provide channels for citizen engagement and whistleblowing, allowing residents to raise concerns and report suspected financial irregularities.
Aliyu said making such information publicly accessible would enable citizens, journalists and oversight institutions to monitor the financial activities of local governments and identify potential abuses of public funds.
“When these records are published regularly, citizens can follow the money, the media can ask informed questions and oversight institutions can detect risks early, before they become losses,” he added.
He explained that NITDA would provide the technological infrastructure required for the project, including domain registration, website development and hosting services for at least one year.
The ICPC, on its part, would establish the content standards and accountability framework to guide the information that local government councils are expected to disclose through the platforms.
Aliyu urged local government chairmen to appoint dedicated officers to manage the websites and ensure that information uploaded was accurate, regularly updated and accessible to the public.
He stressed that the commission intended to implement the initiative as a partnership aimed at preventing corruption and strengthening accountability rather than an instrument for witch-hunting local government officials.
In his remarks, Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA, said the initiative would strengthen governance, improve citizen engagement and create economic opportunities by making government information more accessible.
He said the digital platforms would address the difficulties residents often encounter in obtaining information about government activities and projects, as well as provide accessible channels for submitting complaints.
“Our people are online; therefore, government needs to be online to serve them better,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that NITDA would establish the necessary standards, develop website templates and provide training to citizens as part of efforts to ensure the effective implementation of the project.
According to him, the initiative would eventually extend to all 774 local government areas, with the broader objective of using digital technology to improve the delivery of services at the grassroots.
“Our ambition is not 774 websites. It is 774 digitally empowered local governments delivering better experience to millions of Nigerians,” he said.
The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who formally performed the kick-off of the pilot initiative, designated the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency as the state’s technical partner for the project.
Sule directed local government councils in the state to ensure that all information published on their respective websites was accurate, while also assigning officers to verify financial records and other documents before uploading them.
He said the effectiveness of the initiative should not be judged by the launch of the websites but by how accessible, current and useful the information made available to the public would be.
The governor also called on the ICPC and NITDA to extend the transparency initiative beyond local governments to state governments, offering Nasarawa State as the first to participate in such an expansion.
He said making government financial records accessible would enable citizens to track public funds and determine where resources meant for local governments were being held up.
Sidi Bage, Emir of Lafia, and Danladi Jatau, Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, also commended the initiative.
Jatau pledged the support of the state legislature, noting that the Constitution empowered the House of Assembly to exercise oversight over local government finances.
The launch of the pilot initiative was followed by a technical session on the standardised website template to guide the implementation of the project.
SOURCE: Businessday
