N300m LG fraud: AbdulRazaq’s panel says no evidence of diversion

•urges govt to publish subsequent monthly incomes, spendings

The panel constituted by the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, investigating allegations of monthly deduction of N300m Local Government funds, on Thursday, said the accusations are false and baseless.
 
The panel also said it found no evidence that the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq administration has borrowed to pay salary or pension since it was inaugurated on May 29, 2019.
 
AbdulRazaq had on August 11 inaugurated the panel to investigate the allegations of diversion of local government funds or borrowings from the bank to pay salaries of local government workers.

A probe panel, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party described as “kangaroo meant to divert attention of the public from the huge financial corruption being perpetrated by his kitchen cabinet members and as well use the stage-managed panel as a siege to cover up the government officials who are at the centre of this case.”

The eight-member panel comprised people drawn from various walks of life, including retired Justice Adewara (chairman); Mrs Halimah Bello (DSS); Mrs Titilayo Adedeji (CSOs); Barrister Aisha Bello Mohammed (NBA); DSP Adekunle Iwalaiye (police); Mohammed Baba Ibrahim (ICAN); Alhaja Asmau Apalando (NLC); and Barrister S.K Grillo (Secretary).

Justice Adewara said a total of 35 witnesses testified before the panel while several documents were produced and tendered by them. He said the panel also visited some of the local governments to see what projects they have done as had earlier been submitted by the director of personnel management (DPMs) who appeared before them.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Rafiu Ajakaye quoted the panel chairman as saying, “We want to state categorically that there is no evidence either oral or documentary to support the allegation of N300m monthly deduction from the local government funds by the state government. The allegation of such deductions is therefore baseless, unfounded and false.”
  
The statement added that the panel said only a memorandum from the Elite Network for Sustainable Development (ENETSUD) was received, adding however that the questions the civic group raised in its memo were “all based on incomplete information sourced from the internet and social media.
 
Meanwhile, the committee urged the government to ensure “monthly publication of the total wage bill, IGR and expenditure at the state and Local government levels”, this, they added “would guarantee accountability and transparency which will enrich the integrity of the government in the minds of the people; thereby preventing future reoccurrence of doubt, allegation of financial misappropriation emanating from the people against government”.