Osun LG Funds: Group Alleges Lack Of Accountability, Rolls Out AI-Powered Information Platform

A civic organisation, the Insight Initiative for Community and Social Development (IICSD), has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-backed local government chairmen in Osun State of failing to uphold transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, alleging that they have not disclosed how allocations to the councils have been utilised.

The organisation also unveiled “Amoye,” an artificial intelligence-powered WhatsApp chatbot designed to provide residents with easy access to information on local government activities, budgets and governance.

Speaking with journalists on Friday, the Executive Director of IICSD, Mr. Jare Tiamiyu, said the organisation had spent the last nine months implementing the second phase of the Osun Open LG Project, an initiative aimed at promoting openness, accountability and citizen participation in local government administration.

According to Tiamiyu, the project seeks to ensure that residents have access to information on allocations received by local governments, budget implementation and the utilisation of public resources.

He explained that as part of the initiative, the organisation organised a series of engagements, including capacity-building programmes for local government chairmen on participatory budgeting and procurement processes that conform to global standards of good governance.

He noted that the newly launched Amoye chatbot would enable citizens to obtain information on local government activities through WhatsApp, including by sending voice notes, thereby making governance information more accessible.

Despite these efforts, Tiamiyu expressed concern over what he described as the poor level of transparency in local government administration during the first half of 2026, alleging that council officials had repeatedly failed to provide information on funds received and expended despite several requests.

He maintained that public officials entrusted with council funds owe residents a duty to account for how such resources are spent.

The IICSD Executive Director further alleged that budgets presented by the APC-backed local government chairmen were not approved by their respective legislative councils, raising questions about the legal basis for expenditure on projects executed by the councils.

According to him, the organisation submitted several Freedom of Information (FOI) requests seeking details of council finances but had yet to receive any response.

Tiamiyu said the organisation was demanding details of allocations received by the councils, including previously withheld and fresh allocations, as well as comprehensive records of how the funds had been spent.

While acknowledging that statutory expenses such as salaries and payments to traditional rulers had been made, he insisted that the public deserved to know the total amount received by each council and the balance remaining in their accounts.

He also criticised local government workers for allegedly contributing to the prolonged administrative crisis affecting council operations in Osun State, urging them to demonstrate professionalism and place public service above political interests.

According to him, some council chairmen had attributed delays in salary payments to the refusal of officials to process payment vouchers and to challenges arising from adjustments linked to the new minimum wage.

He therefore called on local government workers and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to cooperate in restoring effective administration at the grassroots, noting that local government governance in the state had remained largely inactive for about 20 months.

On the sustainability of the newly launched chatbot, Tiamiyu expressed confidence that the platform would remain operational, citing the support of international development partners, including NYFF, which he said would enable the organisation to continue improving the technology.