A NEW TWIST ON THE KOGI CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATION There have been reactions on the illegal deductions of federal allocation to local governments in Kogi central. A serving honourable member from Okehi Local government who did not want his named said the issue raised by Abu Imam on deduction of fund to local government in Kogi state is not new. He said the present system; joint account has been in operational since the administration of former Governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu. He added that all the previous and past LGAs chairmen have been living upto expectation inspite these and wonder why the present Chairmen were different. He believed that chairmen were using these as flimsy excuse to cover-up their looting in the local government. Throwing light, he blatantly declared that Abu Imam is in Okene and very sure he might not be fully aware of the rot going on in Okehi Local government. He said, Okehi Chairman has not been sincere enough both to the legislative council members and the general public. He said that Okehi local government usually indulged in frivolous projects whose presence are nowhere to be found in any part of Okehi Local Government. Explaining further, he runs the council as a one man show as legislative body were not usually informed before projects are executed by him. He added that Hon. Hassan, the chairman supposed to have forwarded supplementary budget to Okehi legislative council for approval in late 2013 and did not do so. Rather he went on spending the money and early this year, he then presented budget to the legislative council in January this year on projects to work upon where he included the already spent fund amounting to N20million. The house had no choice that to call the Chairman to explain how he goes about spending money before informing the house. He was thereafter asked to show Councillors where in Okehi LGA he claimed to have constructed road, big borehole, established farm centre and could not point to any until now. This he said was the cause of the present rift between Okehi local government councillors and the Chairman. He further stated that in the month of January, the sum amount of N92million comes to Okehi local government despite deduction by the state government. In that amount, sum amount of N60million was to be used to pay all salaries. In this amount, it will take care of the salaries of all workers in the local government and the political office holders. There will still be leftover N32millions after salary payment, he explained. The issue in Okehi local government became sour when chairman told them that there was no enough money to pay all workers believing that 35% would be paid. This was why the local government staff and the honourable members’ revolted against Okehi local government chairman, he said. He equivocally declared that the issue of short-fall to the local government does not stop full salary payment to workers. Chairmen are only using this to deceive members of the public and Alhaji Abu Imam might not be fully aware of this. He added that virtually all the present Chairmen in Kogi Central have political ambition and they are seriously looting fund preparing themselves against 2015 and using deduction as cover-up for none payment of workers’ salaries. Another worker of Okehi local government added that Hon. Hassan lay off workers. He should be asked to explain where the money met for these people goes into when the chairman suppose to have free money to run the council.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:11:48 +0000
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