Nasarawa Assembly probes Al-Makura over LG funds

The House, at its sitting passed a motion directing a joint committee made up of four standing committees to probe funds going to local government councils from the state government, and to also investigate alleged payment of half salaries in the months of May and August.  The probe is also to find out whether SURE-P […]

The House, at its sitting passed a motion directing a joint committee made up of four standing committees to probe funds going to local government councils from the state government, and to also investigate alleged payment of half salaries in the months of May and August.  
The probe is also to find out whether SURE-P funds to local governments get to the councils among other things.
The joint committee was set up following a motion by Mohammed Baba Ibaku, in which he told the House that workers in Udege Development Area of Nasarawa Local Government Area, pleaded with him to intervene and get council authorities to pay their full salaries.
Ibaku added that during his meeting with council authorities and the aggrieved workers, it was confirmed that the allegation of half salaries payment was true.
Members took turns to slam the state government over alleged diversion of local government funds, with some of them recalling that lack of release of local government funds was one of the charges contained in the impeachment notice served on the governor earlier.  After a debate, the House decided to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, workers in Dome Local Government Area of the state yesterday took to the streets to protest the non-payment of their August salaries.
The protesters blocked the roads, chanting anti-government slogans. Calm was later restored and Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Doma chapter, Aliyu Omadefu, addressed newsmen, saying the matter was resolved after a brief meeting with the council authorities.
Omadefu, who said the council agreed to pay the workers next week, called on workers to return to their duty posts.
Chairman of the council, Henry Omaku, maintained that the salaries would be paid next week, adding that the protest was politically motivated.
 He alleged that some politicians in the area “who are bent on tainting the administration of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, induced the workers to protest.”
 He blamed the inability of the council to pay the August salaries on dwindling revenue accruing to its purse from the federation account, in addition to an over-bloated staff population.