By Mumini AbdulKareem
A panel of inquiry set up to probe the accounts of the 16 local government areas in Kwara State has recommended that the government should ensure monthly publication of wage bill, revenue, and expenditure at the state and local government levels.
The governor of the state, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, on August 11, commissioned the panel to investigate the allegations of diversion of local government funds or borrowings from the bank to pay salaries of local government workers.
This is coming just as a group, Kwara Stakeholders Consultative Forum, has said the report of the government panel was a vindication of its position that the financial operation of the current administration has been too secretive.
According to its State Coordinator, Hon Ayanshola Muhammed during a radio programme, the report was nothing but a validation and vindication of their persistent call for transparency and probity by the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led APC administration.
Curiously however, the eight-member panel which included retired Justice Adewara, the chairperson; Halimah Bello, who represented the State Security Service and Asmau Apalando, a member of the Nigerian Labour Congress in a statement issued by the State Government call for the publication of the local government’s expenditure and finances corroborating the position of former Commissioner for Special Duties, Aisha Ahman-Pategi who challenged the government to do same few days ago.
She also demanded compliance with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) that states and local governments should not operate joint accounts.
“#FreeKwaraLGAmoney must be achieved according to the NFIU guidelines; ensuring LG fund are transferred to them directly from JAAC account,” she wrote.
Mr Adewara, who presented the panel report on Thursday, advised the government to ensure monthly publication of the total wage bill, internally generated revenue, and expenditure at the state and local government levels.
This, according to him, would guarantee accountability and transparency which will promote the integrity of the government in the minds of the people.
Consequently, that would prevent future recurrence of doubt, allegations of financial misappropriation emanating from the people against the government, Mr Adewara was quoted to have said.
But the panel, set up to look into the funds allocated to the local governments from May 2019, said it found no evidence that the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq administration borrowed to pay salary or pension since it was inaugurated.
“We want to state categorically that there is no evidence either oral or documentary to support the allegation of N300 million monthly deduction from the local government funds by the state government. The allegation of such deductions is therefore baseless, unfounded and false,” Mr Adewara said late Wednesday when the panel submitted its report to the governor.
According to the statement, Mr Adewara said a total of 35 witnesses testified before the panel while several documents were produced and tendered by them.
