By Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
A federal lawmaker in Benue State, Herman Hembe on has lampooned the State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP)for its comments on his pledge to free the third tier of government from arm twisting and infrastructural decay in the name of joint accounts.
Hembe who said he has no apologies for his views pointed out that the State Joint Local Government Account created under Section 162 (6) of the Constitution is an account for local governments alone.
Hembe, who has been making consultations as part of efforts to actualize his guber ambitions, last weekend, met with the academia from higher institutions in the state where he stated that if given the mandate in 2023, he would abolish joint account so as to make the third tier of government more productive.
But in swift response, the State PDP through its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, described that as laughable saying that the state/ local government joint account was the provision of the constitution as amended, and wondered how Hembe intended to actualize that.
The PDP went ahead to urge the law maker to applaud the present PDP administration for the numerous achievements it recorded in the face of the numerous challenges it face rather that castigate it.
Reacting to the PDP Publicity Secretary, spokesman of Team Hembe 2023, Teryila Vande, said the position of the constitution section 162 (6) quoted by Iortyom was an account for local government.
He said that revenues accruing to that account, whether from State sources or from the Federation Account are to the credit of local governments.
“The Account is not, and was never intended to become an avenue for arm twisting local governments to surrender their entitlements under some duplicitous arrangements as currently practiced.
” It is this bareface act of financial malfeasance that Hon. Hembe spoke to, and promised to stop, a promise, he reiterates even now. It appears subtext and nuances are not very strong points of the PDP spokesman.
” It is hardly surprising that Bemgba Iortyom and the Benue PDP see nothing wrong with the manner the State Joint Local Government Account is currently operated.
Vande said that the governorship hopeful had offered a clear departure from the status quo, adding that the message resonates with the Benue people, “to whom we boldly assure that Benue will be great again.
Mr. Vande also stated that contrary to the PDP insinuations about the integrity of the Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency, Vande said that Hembe had never (since his about 14 years in the green chamber and still counting) been removed from any committee assignments on account of graft or any other reason for that matter.
