Osisioma Ngwa Local Government councillor, Victor Ngwakwe, has accused the Abia State government of withholding funds meant for local councils, a move he said is deepening poverty and hunger across the state.

Ngwakwe, who leads the 7th Osisioma Ngwa legislative council, told reporters on Friday that public trust in local representatives is eroding, particularly among elderly voters, due to a lack of funding for basic community projects.

“Our people are not asking for much. They just want the essentials the government is supposed to provide,” the Labour Party (LP) lawmaker said. “The grassroots rely on councillors, but we cannot access our monthly allocations.”

He argued that the state government’s tight control of local council funds violates the 1999 Constitution. “Everything is handled at the Government House in Umuahia. It is only in Abia that local councils are completely denied financial autonomy,” Ngwakwe said.

He added that visible projects by councillors are mostly self-funded or backed by political patrons. “The funds allocated to Osisioma Ngwa are enough to show that we care for our people. But the state controls the money, and we cannot access it,” he lamented.