Niger Assembly Probes Illegal Deductions from LG Funds

Niger Assembly Probes Illegal Deductions from LG Funds

By Laleye Dipo

The Niger State House of Assembly has vowed to investigate the alleged deduction of remitted funds from the federation account to some local governments in the state.

THISDAY gathered that some council bosses in the state have allowed part of the money sent to them from the federation account to be deducted for “unknown reasons”.

The councils claimed N50 million and N60 million were deducted from the July and August remittance for what the chairmen described as “confidential”.

The action of the councils has already become a subject of investigation by the state House of Assembly because the local governments could only pay its workers 66 per cent of their salaries for the two months.

The matter was referred to the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs when a motion to this effect was moved under matter of urgent public Importance on the floor of the house by the member representing Paikoro constituency, Alhaji Sulaiman Gambo.

Gambo told his colleagues that the councils concerned claimed the deductions made were done in “confidential manner” without explaining who benefitted or what the deductions were used for.

The lawmaker said one council chairman, when confronted by officials of labour in the local government, told them that N50 million and N60 million were deducted from the local government allocation for the months of July and August respectively

When pressed by the union leaders, the legislator claimed the chairman insisted that “it is a confidential matter” which they (Labour) should not know about.

Gambo noted that despite the harsh economic situation in the state, local government staff are being paid their salaries in percentages which made their survival very difficult.

In his reaction to the matter, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, denied that deductions made from the local government funds are done in “confidential manner”.

“Local government money is always shared in the presence of all stakeholders, including labour unions at both state and local government levels,” Aliyu submitted.

Virtually all the legislators that contributed to the debate on the matter viewed the issue with serious concern resulting in the house resolving that its committee on local government should invite any local government chairman with similar case to explain why deductions were made in their allocation and which has forced them to pay salaries in percentages.

Paikoro and Chanchaga Local Government workers have embarked on a “sit at home” action for two months now following the payment of their salaries in percentages.

THISDAY can report that the affected workers have vowed not to return to their duty posts until the payment of 100 per cent of their salaries and payment of the amount deducted for the months of July and August 2021.

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