The Kaduna State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended three local government chairmen for mismanagement of funds in the course of project execution.
The suspension was a result of the three Chairmen allocating contracts without adhering to the due process as enshrined in section 35, subsection 23 of the Kaduna state public procurement law 2016.
Reading the report in the chamber of the Assembly, the Chairman Ad-hoc Committee on Investigation, and also Member representing Lere East, Munirat Sulaiman Tanimu said after their committee thoroughly investigated the financial activities including the capital and recurrent expenditures of five local government areas namely Chikun, Kaura, Kagarko, Soba and Birnin Gwari respectively.
“Recall that on the 18th day of July 2023, the house resolved and mandated the Ad-hoc committee on investigation to as a matter of urgency investigate the financial activities of the five local governments as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
Explaining further, she mentioned that, the ad-hoc committee sent out letters of invitation to the affected Chairmen and requested they to appear before them and mandated that they come with their financial documents alongside the director of finance, Internal Auditor, director project, deputy director of finance, a detailed document of bank statement of June 2022 to June 2023, As well as their, Departmental vault Account DVA, approved budget for the years 2022 and 2023, Capital and Recurrent expenditures for the years 2022 and 2023, List of contracts Awarded and level of achievement, Outstanding balances, names of the contractors executing the contracts, copy of the company profile executing the projects and all clearances from the ministry of local governments from June 2022 to 2023.
The committee after having studied all Documents submitted to them, then realised that each of the chairmen of Kaura, Kagarko and Chikun have contravened section 48 of the local government administration law, 2018, which provided that all contracts to be executed by local governments shall be made in accordance with their budgets and in compliance with the public procurement law of the state and section 35 sub section 25 of the Kaduna state public procurement law 2016, which provided that procurement and disposal decision of the procuring entity shall be taken by the accounting officer who has been delegated with the responsibility for any action taken or omitted in compliance with the provision of this law.
The committee Chairman, however, said, “having contravened section 48 of the local government administration law 2015 and section 35 subsection 25 of the Kaduna state public procurement law 2016, hereby recommend that they vacate their offices for the next six months and for further investigation on the matter”.
Adding that they should not vacate their offices unless they hand over to their vice Chairmen and should not be seen within the vicinity of the secretariat of the local government pending investigation.
Munirat said, although the chairmen of Birnin Gwari and Soba local government were summoned before the committee but were not found wanting or violating any of the laws, except for their inability to procure the 2023 approved budget from the ministry for local government which was a laxity for all the five local governments chairmen.
“Hence, the chairman of Birnin Gwari and Soba be reprimanded for their laxity and for simply not procuring the approved 2023 budget from the ministry for local government as and when due,” he said.
Contributing to the report, the speaker of the assembly, Yusuf Liman Dahiru who presided over the plenary called on all political officeholders to desist from embezzling public funds because whoever is found wanting will be punished according to the law and without sentiment.
N.O
