Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dosu Babatunde, on Wednesday, warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) not to pay allocations to the state councils into private accountsdditionally, the state chapter of the National Association of Local Government Employees (NULGE) cautioned the CBN and AGF not to pay arrears of the council’s allocation to private individuals.

Recall that the Federal Government had put on hold allocations due to Osun local government councils since February, following a legal tussle over its control between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement, Babatunde said the attention of the state government was drawn to a conspiracy being illegally hatched between the offices of the Governor of CBN and that of AGF on the issue of allocations to local governments in Osun State as the planned action is deliberately aimed at thwarting the cases already filed at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

It reads, “Available information at our disposal, as a government, indicates that the offices of the Accountant General of the Federation and Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) have concluded plans to pay Osun LG allocations to private accounts of some impostors.

“As a government, we are of the strong contention that this is quite sad, unfortunate and unconstitutional for these two Federal Government agencies to conclude plans to pay governments money into private accounts. This will amount to an open violation of public finance regulations.”

Similarly, NULGE chairman in the state, Comrade Kehinde Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, cautioned the CBN and AGF not to pay councils’ allocations into private accounts of individuals, warning that such a decision will escalate the ongoing crisis.

He also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in resolving the debacle created by the lingering battle for control of local government secretariats between the APC and PDP.

He stated, “We call on all parties involved, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to intervene and facilitate a resolution. Governor Ademola Nurudeen

Jackson Adeleke has shown maturity and leadership ingenuity in handling the situation, and we commend his efforts.”Ogungbangbe explained that NULGE had a letter dated 10th June, 2025 that emanated from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, titled: RE PAYMENT OF STATUTORY ALLOCATION TO OSUN STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND OPENING OF ACCOUNT”, and signed by one Okolie Rita O. (Director Federation Account Department), Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He added that in the letter, “the Office of the Account-General of the Federation requested for the opening of the account for the 30 local governments in Osun State, with the following conditions: “This is to inform you that CBN has requested that the local governments should apply for opening and maintenance of the account as the CBN Osogbo Branch, through any two persons out of the following officers: chairman, treasurer or Director, Finance and Administration or Director of Personnel Management.

“NULGE had informed the Honourable Minister of Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation as well as the CBN Governor that the authorized signatories to local government accounts in Osun State are the Director of Finance and Supplies and the Director of Administration and General Services with the Head of Local Government Administration and Council Chairmen confirming the schedules.” (The Guardian)