Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
Delta State Government has said that the state “actually received” a total of N88,271,852,589.55 from the Federation Account allocation to States and Local Government Councils (LGCs) from May 2015 to June 2016.
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Patrick Ukah, made the clarification in a statement on Monday in Asaba, refuting a publication in one of the national newspapers on June 13, 2016, which “supposedly gave details of grand total of Federation Account Allocation to States and Local Government Councils (LGCs) from May 2015 to June 2016.”
The explanation by the information commissioner showed a difference of over N56 billion between the total figures quoted in the said publication and the actual amount or net figure received by the state government during the period under review.
The total amount claimed to have accrued to Delta State from May 2015 to June was blown up by the sum of N56,434,719,304.06, being the difference between the actual amount received and the amount quoted in the said publication, according to the statement by Ukah.
It also faulted the basis of the computation by said newspaper publication, pointing out that the allocation figures for the month of June 2016 could not be because the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting for that particular month had not been held when the newspaper published the figures.
According to the statement, “The report wrongly stated that Delta State got N144, 706, 571, 893.61 from May 2015 to June 2016 instead of N88, 271, 852, 589.55 that the state actually received.
“The period covered gave the impression that FAAC receipts for June 2016 had been received by June, 13, 2016. This is incorrect because the FAAC meeting for June 2016 which approves release of fund for the month was held on June 21, 2016 and funds for that month were received on June 27, 2016 by Delta State Government.”
“The report failed to distinguish what accrued to the State Government from what was allocated to LGCs, a separate tier of Government”, it further noted, adding: “The total figures ignored deductions at source from the gross allocation, thereby giving the impression that the entire amount accrued and were released to the state.”
On why the government’s reaction was coming weeks after the newspaper publication, Ukah told THISDAY in Asaba on Monday that the rebuttal was only coming after close scrutiny by the state Finance Ministry, which eventually noted the errors in the newspaper report.
Further details later
