LG finances: Nasarawa Assembly summons two commissioners, AG

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3 years ago

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has summoned the State Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Yusuf Aliyu Turaki, to explain how funds meant for the councils are disbursed and spent.

Also to appear before the lawmakers on Tuesday, September 27, over the development, including the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Daniel Agyeno and State Accountant General, Mr Zakka Yakubu.

The lawmakers are concerned that development is stunted at the grassroots level of governance despite huge allocations channelled to the third tier of government every month.

The lawmakers are also worried over the “discovery” that the councils do not benefit from ecological funds allocated to the state by the federal government as well as the internally generated revenue (IGR).

The House said the invitation will enable affected officials to explain how the State Financial, Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability ( SFTAS) Funds, Ecological funds, State Internal Generated Revenue ( IGR) and Paris Club were received and disbursed amongst the tiers of government.

The invitation was a sequel to a motion by the Chief Whip, Hon Muhammed Agah Muluku, calling on the House to torchlight the situation at the grassroots during the plenary on Monday.

The Speaker, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, said it was imperative that the affected officials are summoned to explain why funds meant for the councils are diverted for other use.

He noted that the assembly has passed a law on how state finances should be disbursed among the tiers of government in the state and will not sit and watch while the same legislations are abused.

He said, “I have said it severally, that we are all elected to represent our people well at this state assembly.

“The people we are representing will judge us, posterity will judge us and God will judge us based on our actions and inactions, these are judgements that await us.

“In the process of discharging our duties, we will receive condemnations and insults from people who do not understand legislative work and activities.

“Unfortunately, some of our people will not understand the role of legislative. We are doing our best to protect the system and let them say what they want to say.

“But can we allow something that was for local government to be diverted somewhere, we have to investigate that.

“It is in view of this, that we invite the State Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Commissioner for Finance, and Accountant General to appear before us tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept.27, 2022, by 10 am at the chamber.”

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