The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the federal allocations accruing to the 16 local government areas of the state as well as their share of the internally generated revenue from May 29, 2019 till date.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how 16 local government chairmen and councillors have been on suspension after they were accused of misappropriation of public funds.
They were suspended in June 2019. Their suspension has, however, been extended twice.
The suspended council executives have approached the court, questioning the stoppage of their salaries and the extension of their suspension.
“In pursuance of the powers conferred on the Governor of Kwara State under the Commission of Inquiry Law CAP, C17 Laws of Kwara State, 2006 and other enabling law in that regard, I, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Governor of Kwara State, hereby constitute a panel of inquiry into local government federal allocations and IGR accruing to local government councils from May 29 to date,” the governor said in a statement announcing the panel on Monday evening.
The statement listed Mathew Adewara as the chairman of the panel, with Sabitiyu Grillo, a permanent Secretary, appointed as the Secretary of the panel.
The panel comprises a representative of the department of state service (DSS); Nigeria Police Force; Titilayo Adedeji; Baba Ibrahim; Aisha Mohammed; and Asmau Apalando, the statement added.
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“The panel of inquiry is mandated to investigate and probe funds received and disbursed to all the 16 local government councils of Kwara State from May 29 2019 to date,” it stated.
One of the duties of the panel is to ascertain the amounts reviewed by local governments as statutory allocation from the federal government from May 2019 to date.
Others include investigate the amounts received by the local governments as IGR from the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), the amounts received by the local governments from other sources into the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) and the veracity of the claim of N300m monthly deduction by the Kwara State Government from the local government funds.
The statement said the panel has two weeks to submit its report.
The setting up of the panel came amid the governor’s official invitation to the anti-graft body EFCC and the House of Assembly to investigate the issue.
Mr AbdulRazaq said he remains true to his electoral promise not to touch a kobo of local government funds in compliance with the NFIU guidelines.
Source: allafrica.com
