No skeleton in our cupboard — Lalong

Following controversy and allegation of mismanagement and diversion of Paris Club loan refund by some states, the Plateau State government has declared that its financial books are open for scrutiny and investigation by anti-graft agency, saying it has no skeleton in its cupboard over the loan fund received by the state.

Apparently reacting to the inclusion of Plateau State among states that mismanaged the fund, the state governor, Mr Simon Lalong, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Honourable Dan Manjang, told Tribne Online that the money was judiciously utilised contrary to insinuations in some quarters.

According to him, the state government received $74,756,013.98 (being 50 per cent of state and local government areas) with its naira equivalent of N10,497,000,000. The state got N6,304,498,200 and  local government areas N4,192,501,800, representing 60.06 per cent and 39.94 per cent, respectively.

He said the money was used for arrears of three months civil servants’ salaries, arrears of seven months pensions, adding that there was a shortfall of N1.4 billion the state government had to borrow to complement.