Olobarimate Ollor, the immediate past Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, emphasized that the Supreme Court's decision must be respected. He accused Governor Fubara of withholding funds from local governments, thereby stifling their operations, as reported by Punch.
Ollor highlighted that during the last three months of their first term, the governor withheld funds from all 21 local governments for over three months, with Emuoha LGA experiencing a four-month delay.
Even when the funds were eventually released, there were unexplained deductions, leading to a lack of transparency regarding the actual amounts received by the councils.
Ollor supported the Federal Government and Supreme Court's stance against the caretaker system, asserting that it has become a means for governors to divert local government funds for personal use.
He said that, "In the last three months of our first term, the governor held our funds. That of Emuoha LGA was held for four months from March, the other 21 local governments area were held for more than three months.
“And even when the funds came, you know that there were deductions which are not explained to us what they’re actually meant for and what actually comes to the councils is opaque and not actually what is supposed to accrue to the local government.
So, clearly, the position of the Federal Government and the Supreme Court to outlaw this our so-called caretaker is in order, completely in order because it has been seen as a conduit through which most governors to siphon what is meant for the local government to their own coffers.”