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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Benue State House of Assembly has recommended the immediate suspension of elected council chairmen of the 23 local government areas of the state.
They also recommended that the legislative councils also be suspended for conniving with the executive councils to mismanage public funds put in their trust.
The House also urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to proceed to set up caretaker committees in line with the Benue State Local Government law.
That House, had on Tuesday, set up a three man Ad-hoc Committee chaired by the member representing Katsina Ala West State Constituency, Peter Ipusu with Manger Manger of Tarka and Cyril Ekong of Oju II State Constituencies as members, to investigate the income and expenditures of the 23 LGAs of the state.
During yesterday’s plenary, chairman of the committee, Peter Ipusu, while addressing the House informed that the committee considered the report in line with the Financial Memorandum of the Local Government and other extant rules governing the management of funds in local governments in Benue State.
He said the committee was worried by the outright disregard to procedure and crass mismanagement of LGA funds for the period under review stating that there was need for more detailed investigation of the operations of the local government beyond the period under review to cover from June 2015 to May 2023.
“The House is requested to note that section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) gives the House of Assembly the right to legislate on matters concerning the local government and also authorizes the state House of Assembly to perform oversight functions over the local government councils.”
Speaking further, Ipusu, on behalf of the committee, prayed the House to extend the period of review to cover for the entire tenure of the out gone administration being June 2015 to May 2023.
He said: “In order to conduct the review without any interference, the committee recommends the immediate suspension of executive council chairmen in all the 23 local government councils and also the legislative councils for conniving with the executive councils to mismanage public funds put in their trust.
“The council chairmen are hereby directed to hand over the affairs of the local government councils, all government properties in their possession, including official vehicles, to the DGSAs with immediate effect and proceed on suspension pending the completion of investigation into their books of accounts and other related matters.”
The House urged the governor should proceed to set up caretaker committees in line with the Benue State local government law.
The House also called on the state Commissioner of Police, Julius Okoro to ensure a seamless takeover at the various Local Government Council Headquarters without any friction.
