Governor Sule directs immediate suspension of DPMs, DFS, for alleged fraud

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has directed the immediate suspension of Directors of Personnel Management, (DPM), Directors of Finance and Supplies, (DFS) in 13 local government areas for three months over fraud allegations.

Also affected in the suspension order are DPM, DFS in the 18 development areas in the state.

In the order which was served through the state’s Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), the governor directed the commission to send all DPMs, DFS, in the 13 local governments and 18 development areas on three months suspension.

Public relations officer in the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu Shigafarta who revealed the suspension order to journalists in Lafia at the weekend, said the council officials were suspended because they refused to work with the directive of the committee set up by the government to investigate the discrepancies and high wage bills incurred by local governments.

According to him, all local government staff were audited over some abnormalities, so the government decided to use April 2012 payment vouchers to get to the roots of the fraud.

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“Local Government salaries as at 2012 was N1.1bn, but now that there were no employment, promotions, people died, some retired, while others left for greener pastures from nowhere local government salaries skipped to 1.3b monthly”

“That was why two months ago, the state government decided to constitute a committee headed by the state Accountant General, auditor general, permanent secretary, three chairmen and director in the ministry, to look into the problem”

“The committee after investigation discovered that after payment of salaries and other entitlements, the sum of over 600 million naira was remaining; so they directed all councils to go back and pay salaries with 2012 payment vouchers, but the DFS refused”

From the ministry, they were directed to use 2012 payment vouchers to pay salaries and if there are any genuine complaints, they should be forwarded to the committee for ratification, but they refused; they held payment of salaries to ransom, that is why government directed that they be suspended” he said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE