By Chidimma Okwara,
A legislative crisis is brewing in Abia State’s local government system following the forced resignation of the Leader of the Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council, Hon. Victor Ngwakwe, who claims he was pushed out after raising the alarm over the state government’s alleged appropriation of local council funds.
Hon. Ngwakwe, who represented Osokwa Ward, resigned a few days ago after publicly lamenting the complete lack of operational funds for councilors, a situation he claims makes it impossible to serve his constituents. The move has sparked serious concerns regarding the financial autonomy and management of the third tier of government in the state.
Allegations of Constitutional Violations
In his public statements leading up to the resignation, Ngwakwe was highly critical of the state government, accusing it of directly violating the 1999 Constitution and the Local Government Act. He claimed that the state had “blocked all access” for the legislative council to perform its basic functions.
“Everything is done at Government House in Umuahia, which is against what’s clearly stated in the Constitution,” Ngwakwe reportedly stated. He argued that the state government was unilaterally appropriating and spending local government monthly allocations, effectively reducing the councilors to mere spectators.
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Councillors Rendered Powerless
A fellow councillor, who requested anonymity, corroborated Ngwakwe’s assertions, painting a bleak picture of legislative paralysis at the local level.
“We don’t participate in projects, we don’t know how much funding is allocated for projects, or how it’s being spent or executed. We don’t know anything that concerns money that happens in the local government,” the source revealed. The councillor further stated that they neither pass the budget, appropriate funds, nor approve projects for the local government.
The source added that the only compensation councilors receive is a fixed amount of N240,000, which is insufficient to cover the demands of their constituents.
“The grassroots don’t know the people at the state level—they only have access to their councilors, who unfortunately have no funds to work with,” Ngwakwe had lamented, highlighting the intense pressure from community members expecting basic service delivery.
Resignation Followed Public Outcry
The resignation of Hon. Ngwakwe was reportedly a direct consequence of his decision to speak out against the financial irregularities. The anonymous councillor confirmed that the legislative council leader was forced to step down after his public post, which questioned why councilors were only paid N240,000 when the local government allegedly receives up to N500 million monthly.
The development has shined a spotlight on the systemic issues of sycophancy and financial dependency plaguing the local government system in Abia State, with the anonymous source lamenting, “Sycophancy is too common among councilors here in Abia State.”
State Government Silent
As of press time, the Abia State Government has not issued an official statement regarding the allegations made by the former legislative leader or the circumstances surrounding his resignation.
The Deputy Leader of the Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council has since assumed the position of the acting leader. Political observers are now closely watching to see if this incident will force the state government to review its financial management of local government funds and address the demands for greater local council autonomy.
