By joshua 
Kogi Govt Dismisses CSOs’ Petition on Alleged LG Funds Diversion, Says Claims Are Fabricated
The Kogi State Government has strongly dismissed allegations of massive local government funds diversion, describing a recent petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a politically motivated attempt to smear Governor Usman Ododo.
In a statement issued on Monday, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the petition filed by three civil society organisations (CSOs) — African Transparency Initiative (ATI), Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA), and Concerned Kogi State Citizens — was filled with “fabricated claims” aimed at misleading federal oversight institutions and the public.
The CSOs, in a petition dated November 18, 2025, accused the state government of facilitating a sophisticated diversion of local government funds through what they termed the “Lokoja Voucher Scheme.” They alleged that:
Funds were siphoned using fake vouchers and contracts for non-existent projects.
Shell companies linked to politically exposed persons (PEPs) received large sums of money.
LG officials were compelled to sign documents without Bills of Quantity, tenders, or site inspections.
Fraudulent vouchers were processed monthly, depleting council funds before reaching communities.
95% of the Local Government Service Commission’s 1% monthly allocation was allegedly “re-looted” through non-tendered contracts.
The petitioners argued that the alleged actions contravened the EFCC Act, ICPC Act, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. They demanded a forensic audit of all LG accounts from January 2024, prosecution of complicit officials, recovery of diverted funds, and reforms to protect LG autonomy.
But responding, Fanwo said “not a kobo” of local government allocation is tampered with by the state government. He maintained that all 21 LG councils receive their full statutory allocations and independently manage their budgets, contracts, payrolls and development priorities.
He accused the CSOs of acting on behalf of political actors “who believe power should be determined by place of birth rather than competence,” insisting the groups failed to provide any verifiable evidence beyond “media noise and political rhetoric.”
“This is not activism for accountability; it is a coordinated campaign to drag the name of the Governor and Government of Kogi State into fabricated claims,” Fanwo said. “If they have facts, let them produce them.”
He added that Kogi is one of the few states where all local government councils publish their monthly financial statements on the government portal, challenging the petitioners to identify any state with a stronger transparency framework.
Supporting the commissioner’s position, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kogi chapter, highlighted what it called verifiable achievements of local councils, including:
100% payment of salaries and pensions, and ongoing clearance of long-abandoned gratuities.
Construction and renovation of Primary Healthcare Centres, including staff quarters, solar-powered water facilities and new clinics.
Rehabilitation and construction of rural roads, procurement and repairs of earth-moving equipment.
Installation of transformers across hundreds of communities in partnership with the Ministry of Rural and Energy Development.
The government reiterated its commitment to transparency, insisting that the allegations were part of a “politically engineered” campaign that would not distract it from ongoing development efforts across the state