Contrary to claims by the Nasarawa State governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura that his government is strictly guided by the principles of accountability, prudence and fear of God in the management of state resources, the governor was alleged to have been involved in monumental corruption including the diversion of over N5.9billion from the local government joint account in two years.
The Nasarawa state House of Assembly, in a notice of impeachment served the governor via the media on Thursday alleged that the said sum was missing from the state treasury between June, 2011-April, 2012 and January to July, 2013, this, according to the House was a gross violation of section 162 sub 7and 8 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended).
In the impeachment notice and a copy of which was obtained by Nigeria Pilot Saturday, the lawmakers further alleged that the sum of over N3.2billion was fraudulently spent without document to support the payment and with no evidence showing recipient of the money within the period under review.
On the subsidy re-investment, SURE-P fund meant for local government councils in the state, the document revealed that the sum of N768million was inappropriately expended by the state government out of the total amount of over N2.7billion received by the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs from inception of the programme in April, 2012 to April 2014.
Investigation has revealed that the state government, apart from ‘illegally’ withdrawing the said money without an appropriation law by the local government legislative council also transferred the local government SURE-P fund to a fixed deposit account in the Guarantee Trust Bank, where the sum of over N33.9million, representing 1.9 per cent of the total sum was generated but allegedly developed wings and flown in the air.
When contacted for comments, the state APC publicity secretary, Hon. Wuduyamba Sam Agidi explained that it was not within the reach of the party to comment on allegations bordering on finances as it was purely an administrative matter, which only government officials could answer but however added that the service of the impeachment notice in the media in which the allegations contained was done through the back door.
Commissioner for Information and Ethical Re-orientation could not be reached for comments as he failed to pick phone calls put across to him by Nigerian Pilot Saturday.
