APC, AAC kick as Ayade insists on having access to LG funds

Two opposition parties in Cross River State, All Progressives Congress (APC) and African Action Congress (AAC), have warned Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State against his resolve to tamper with the local government funds.

This strong advice came on Wednesday on the heels of the governor’s secret meeting with heads of local government administration (HOLGA) where he appealed to them to allow him continue to use the funds to pay workers’ salaries.

Sources close to Ayade said the HOLGA had refused to heed the plea from the governor.

The statement from state chairman of AAC, Agba Jalingo said: “The African Action Congress is calling on Governor Ben Ayade to resist the temptation of tampering with local government funds.

“We are aware that following the implementation of the directives of the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the allocations for local governments have been paid into the accounts of the councils.

“We are also aware that in a bid to access these funds, Governor Ayade is meeting the Heads of Local Government Administrations in order to attempt the regularization of their signatures in order to collect these monies.