By NaijaonpointOnline
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany and former Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East, Ita Enang, has raised questions over the management of public funds in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, expressing concern over the poor state of roads in the community of the council’s chairperson, Ubong Nkutt.
Enang’s concerns emerged in a video circulating online in which he questioned why the local government had not provided better road infrastructure despite the substantial allocations it has received from the Federation Account since the current administration assumed office.
The former senator specifically questioned the condition of the road leading to the village of the council chairperson.
“Since he became the chairman, the first thing he could do is get land from the village, fence it and start building a house that he will live in. Where is the access road that he will use to his house? This is too shameful,” Enang said in the video.
He also questioned the spending priorities of the council, claiming that Itu receives between N800 million and N900 million monthly from the Federation Account.
“I will speak about this on the radio on Tuesday. He does not have a road in his village yet gets between N800 and N900 million monthly allocation. In February this year, they were given N1.3 billion. What is he doing with the money? He should tar his village road,” he said.
FAAC records tell a different story
However, an analysis of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) records published by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation shows that some of Enang’s claims about Itu’s monthly allocations do not correspond with the available fiscal records.
Nkutt and other elected local government chairpersons in Akwa Ibom State assumed office in October 2024.
Between October and December 2024, Itu Local Government received approximately N1.143 billion in FAAC allocations.
The council received a further N5.703 billion in 2025, while allocations for the first five months of 2026 amounted to N2.608 billion.
Consequently, Itu received a cumulative N9.455 billion in FAAC allocations between October 2024 and May 2026.
The figure represents an average monthly allocation of about N472.8 million over the 20-month period — considerably lower than the N800 million to N900 million monthly figure cited by Enang.
The highest monthly allocation recorded during the period was N566.16 million, allocated in April 2026 and shared with the council in May.
There was also a discrepancy in the ambassador’s reference to a N1.3 billion allocation in February.
Available records indicate that the N519.79 million allocation for January 2026 was distributed to the council in February, rather than N1.3 billion.
IGR remains an unanswered question
While FAAC figures provide an important picture of the council’s finances, the local government’s overall revenue position cannot be determined from federal allocations alone.
Itu is a major commercial hub in Akwa Ibom and hosts several activities capable of generating significant internally generated revenue.
Among them is the Itam Market, one of the state’s largest weekly markets, which attracts traders and goods from several parts of Akwa Ibom and neighbouring areas.
The local government also hosts interstate transport operators, including Akwa Ibom Transport Company, as well as a major cattle and goat market, the state’s biggest abattoir and a significant timber market.
These commercial activities potentially provide the council with multiple sources of internally generated revenue through tickets, levies, permits and other charges.
However, publicly accessible records do not currently provide a clear picture of how much the council generates from these sources or how the revenue is being utilised.
Where are the projects?
Enang’s criticism has also drawn attention to the visibility of projects executed by the Itu Local Government administration since October 2024.
In the video, he expressed disappointment that the council chairperson had not ensured the improvement of roads serving his community.
“I thought he is a young man who has thoughts about his community. This is just too shameful,” he said.
The concerns come amid broader questions about transparency in local government finances in Akwa Ibom.
Despite provisions requiring public disclosure of financial information, local government budgets and related fiscal documents are not readily available online.
Section 47(2) of the Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Law requires ministries, departments and agencies, including local governments, to maintain functional online portals for publishing budgets, budget implementation reports and audited financial statements.
However, findings by NaijaonpointOnline indicate that budgets of the state’s local government councils are not currently publicly accessible online.
The lack of such information makes it difficult for residents to independently establish how much their councils receive, how much they generate internally and how public funds are allocated to critical sectors such as roads, education, healthcare, water supply and markets.
Previous concerns over Itu infrastructure
The latest controversy is not the first time questions have been raised over the state of public infrastructure in Itu.
NaijaonpointOnline had previously reported concerns over the condition of a primary school in the local government where pupils were reportedly left without adequate desks and had to sit on bare floors during lessons.
The situation has renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in the management of local government resources.
Enang’s aide confirms video
When contacted by NaijaonpointOnline, Enang’s media aide, Uduak Abasi Ikpat, confirmed that the video was authentic.
Ikpat, however, explained that the comments were not intended for public circulation.
According to him, Enang made the remarks while speaking to some community members after his vehicle was damaged by a bad road in Itu during a visit to a Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing project he had attracted to the area.
Chairperson silent on allegations
NaijaonpointOnline contacted Itu Local Government Chairperson, Ubong Nkutt, seeking his response to the concerns raised by Enang and questions arising from the available financial records.
Several calls to the chairperson went unanswered, while a text message containing detailed questions also received no response as of the time of filing this report.
The council chairperson was asked to provide a breakdown of expenditure from the N9.455 billion received in FAAC allocations between October 2024 and May 2026, including spending by sector and individual projects.
He was also asked to provide details of road, education, healthcare, water, market and other infrastructure projects executed since assuming office, including their locations, costs, contractors and current status.
NaijaonpointOnline further requested details of the council’s internally generated revenue from the Itam Market, transport operators, cattle and goat markets, abattoir, timber market and other revenue sources.
The chairperson was also asked why the council’s budgets, budget implementation reports and audited financial statements were not publicly available online, and whether his administration would make its revenue, expenditure and procurement records accessible to residents.
No response had been received from the chairperson as of publication.
The questions surrounding Itu’s finances and infrastructure therefore remain open, with residents and stakeholders awaiting clearer information on how the local government’s resources are being deployed.