Kwara probes Saraki govt, others over alleged N300m controversial LG funds

[Edoman]

Kwara probes Saraki govt, others over alleged N300m controversial LG funds


 
on
 August 4, 2020



Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, on Monday, constituted an 8-man probe panel to investigate the Federal government allocations accruing to the 16 local government councils in the State.


The panel will also probe the councils share of the internally generated revenue from May 29, 2019 to date.


A statement by his spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye, on Monday night in Ilorin, announced the constitution of the panel.


“In pursuance of the powers conferred on the governor of Kwara state, under the Commission of Inquiry Law CAP C17 Laws of Kwara state, 2006 and other enabling law in that regard, l Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Governor of Kwara state, hereby constitutes a panel of inquiry into local government federal allocations and IGR accruing to local government councils from May 29,2019, to date,” the statement noted.

The terms of reference of the panel include among others, to ascertain the amounts received by local government councils as statutory allocation from the Federal government from May 29, 2019 to date.


It will also determine and ascertain the amounts received by the local governments as IGR from the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS, from May 29, 2019 to date.


The panel will determine and ascertain the amounts received by the local governments from other sources into the Joint Allocation Account Committee, JAAC, from May 29, 2019 to date.

It is further mandated to investigate the veracity of the claim of N300m monthly deductions by the Kwara state government from the local government funds from May 29, 2019 to date.

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The probe panel, which has two weeks to submit its report, will also determine whether the state government borrowed money from banks or financial institutions to pay salaries at any point in time from May 29, 2019 to date.

It will further determine the duplicity or otherwise by any Kwara state public official on the matter of local government funds and how the funds mentioned above were spent monthly by the JAAC.


Former Governor and ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki was one of the governors within the period under review.


DAILY POST reports that the constitution of the probe panel is coming after the governor’s official request to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the state legislature to probe the matter.

The panel has retired Justice Mathew Olabamiji Adewara, as the chairman and Mrs Sabitiyu Grillo, a permanent secretary as the secretary.