The Damaturu local government caretaker committee chairman, Alhaji Gudama Bukar, has lamented the loss of internally generated revenue in his domain due to insecurity, a situation worsened by the state of emergency imposed in the area.
He revealed this while briefing newsmen in his office on the achievements of his council after? his re-appointment by the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam to serve for the second time in office as the caretaker council.
He told newsmen that the local government realised a minimum of N150, 000 every week, an equivalent of N600,000 every month, especially from its markets, as internally generated revenue, before the Damaturu attacks began; but since after that, he said, the revenue generation has dropped to just? N100,000 per week or the equivalent of N400,000 every month.
He pointed out that when the attacks began, many people became afraid of going to the markets, and? the situation became worse when a state of emergency was imposed in Damaturu among others, with heavy security checkpoints on the roads.
He pointed out that all these contributed to not only fear, but frustration on marketers who have to spend hours going through the so many checkpoints, while at the same time have to hurry back home in compliance with the curfew in place.
He said the payment of workers salary would have been difficult for the council if not for the state governor’s prudent management of funds, making possible to draw from the local government joint account reserves to offset such liabilities, something for which expressed appreciation and much gratitude to the governor.
He however said despite all these constraints, the local government made appreciable achievements in the area of providing the dividends of democracy to its people.