Nasarawa State government has sharply risen to defend allegations? levelled against it by the State House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee on Joint Local Government Account of N2 billion fraud involving local government funds and other sensitive issues of public interest.
In a press briefing yesterday in Lafia addressed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Hon. Abdulhamid Kwarra, said government was disturbed by series of contentious issues reported widely in National Dailies which generated intense public interest prompting the government to seek ways of setting the record straight.
Hon. Kwarra pointed out that the State House of Assembly penultimate week accused the Ministry for Local Government of not accounting for? over N2 billion out of the over N27 billion received from June 2011 to April 2012.
It was however revealed that the House of Assembly Ad hoc Committee did not discuss their findings or any financial irregularity with the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for the purposes of clarification before making their report a public matter.
This act the state government considers mischievous aimed at blackmailing the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) led government of Umaru Tanko Almakura by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled State House of Assembly.
He stressed further that, “as far as Government is concerned with regard to the allegation of N2 billion unaccounted Local Government Joint Account funds, no such monies is missing or that needs to be accounted for”.??
While reacting to the resolution of the House asking Governor Almakura? to re-instate the deposed Provost and management staff of College of Education, Akwanga, over allegation of misappropriation of? N25 million naira loan secured for the completion of the ICT Centre and the school library,? Hon. Kwarra noted that government was not going back on the suspension.
He said: “Government wish to reiterate its earlier suspension order, which shall continue to be enforced on the suspended management. Meanwhile, government is studying the House Resolution and will exercise its discretion at the appropriate time”.
Nasarawa State has some problems which we advice as follows:
First, good leadership eluded the State at creation and the trnd needs to be reversed by the CPC government of Gov Al-Makura.
Second, Gov Al-Makura is a benefiary of the disguest the people had for the last administration. That the CPC won election in Nasarawa State is not that Al-makura had any message that drew them to vote it. No. They voted for General Buhari whose constituency the poor people are.The Governor must avoid confontation with the State House of Assembly so they can quickly develope the rural state.
Third, A case has been investigated by the State House of Assembly and one thought that the sane thing to do would have been to work with the house to put the issue at bay. In fact, the House solved the Gov’s problem with its pronouncement on the issue unfortunately, the governor insists otherwise when fraud isn’t established; or has it become an offence for a person(College of Edn, Akw)in law to borrow money within the statute’s prescription?He should learn from what is going on in the National Assembly.The President is not arguing on the issues raised but trying to explain not shouting that he will not go back. Haba Gov Al-Makura!!!!!!
Fourth, The governor has not provided the answer to the allegation that he has connered the local government funds for himself. The public knows what he received.Let him come out and explain where it went. Do not forget that we are keeping recrds of all the money received and do hope to see how they are captured in the budgets to be announced.
Fifth is education which is struggling in level of decay with Bauchi State. We need to renovate the schools, provide infrastructure, train teachers and build more to enroll excess children.The Gov will not be doing anybody favour here. It is the right of our chilgren to have good education, medicare, clean water and food.
Moreover, we need to review whatever we have as scholarship programme and make it useful.
Unless the Gov listens to sane voices, he will learn no lesson in the four years he will spend in Government house.