Edo State Joint Account and Allocation Committee, (JAAC) has declared N1.89 billion as the total allocation that accrued to the 18 local government Councils in the state from the Federation account for the month of February.
The head of local government administration of Esan-South East Local government, Mr. Macaulay Ehonor disclosed at the end of JAAC meeting held at government House in Benin City and presided over by the governor of the state Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
Ehonor said N1.35 billion of the amount was used as mandatory expenditure which includes paying of teacher’s salaries, pension, five percent allocation to traditional councils, training etc. He said N536 million was left as distributable revenue accrue to the 18 LGAs in the state.
He however disclosed that some LGAs are still shaky and finding it difficult to meet their various financial obligations.
He listed the LGAs as follows: Akoko-Edo, Egor, Esan-North-East, Etsako West, Oriowmwon, Ovia-North-East, Oredo, Esan West, Uhuwonde and Ikpoba -Okha .
Ehonor said the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki had charged the heads of the various LGAs in the state to find more ways to boost the internally generated revenues of their various councils.
He said the harmonized law on rate and levies undergoing its pilot scheme in Egor, Ikpoba-Okha and Oredo when fully implemented, will certainly boost the revenue of the various LGAs and the councils will become viable and thereby, be able to render good services to the people of the state as the result from the pilot scheme is very encouraging and pointing to this direction.
Speaking further, he said the governor promised to review the security situation in various LGAs and charged the Heads of Local Government Administrations in the state to take certain actions to ensure the safety of lives and property of Edo people.