From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended, with immediate effect, all the elected local government chairmen and their councillors in the state’s 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
The Local Government Chairmen in the state were suspended for alleged misappropriation of funds.
Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Aondona Dajoh gave this ruling after a considering the report of the adhoc Committee the House set up on Tuesday to investigate the income and expenditures report forwarded to it by the Governor.
According to the Speaker, the suspension has become necessary in order to pave way for smooth and detailed investigation into the income and expenditures of the Council by the House.
The House equally resolved to extend the investigation to cover the whole tenure of the Local Government Councils saying the three months report into the finances of the Councils has revealed serious infringements on the Financial Memorandum of Local Government and other extant laws governing the Management of funds at the third tier of government.
Earlier while presenting the report, Chairman of the adhoc Committee, Mr. Peter Ipusu revealed that his committee discovered huge financial misappropriation by the 23 Local Government Councils in the State and among other things recommended the House to pass a resolution calling on the Governor to suspend all the Councils in order to give way for a detailed investigation into the income and expenditures of the Councils.
The committee had also asked the chairmen to immediately hand over the affairs of their respective council to their Director General Service and Administration, urging Governor Hyacinth Alia to proceed to constitute caretakers.
Recall that the LG chairmen who were elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party and inaugurated in June 2022 for two year term had secured a judgement of the National Industrial Court in Makurdi guaranteeing their full tenure.
But the assembly has requested the Commissioner of Police to ensure a seamless takeover at the various Local Government Councils Headquarters without any friction.
Parts of the statement read, “The committee prays this Honourable House to extend the period of review to cover for the entire tenure of the out gone administration ( June 2015 to May 2023)
“In order to conduct the review without any interference, the committee recommends the immediate suspension of Executive Council Chairmen in all the 23 local government councils and also the legislative councils for conniving with the Executive Councils to mismanage public funds put in their trust.
“The Council Chairmen are hereby directed to hand over the affairs of the Local Government Councils, all government properties in their possession, including official vehicles, to the DGSAs with immediate effect and proceed on suspension pending the completion of investigation into their books of accounts and other related matters.
“The Governor should proceed to set up caretaker committees in line with the Benue State Local Government law.
The recommendation which was read on the floor of the house on Wednesday by the speaker, Dajoh Hyacinth was adopted by all the lawmakers.
