By Beauty John, LAFIA
Nasarawa State House of Assembly says it is throwing weight behind Governor Abdullahi Sule’s move for the 13 Local Government Councils in the state to have a single salary and single revenue account each in order to block leakages.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi reiterated this during the passage into second reading of a Bill for a Law to Amend the Nasarawa State Law for the Establishment, Structure, Composition, Finance and Functions of Local Government System in Nasarawa State 2018 and other Matters Connected Thereto during the House Proceeding in Lafia, yesterday.
Balarabe Abdullahi said that the bill if finally passed into law would ensure accountability, transparency, prudency and efficient management of resources at each of the local government councils in the state.
“According to the bill, each Local Government shall maintain a single salary, single revenue and single running cost account into which funds shall be lodged for the payment of salaries to all categories of local government employees, personnel and officers from the state local government joint account.
“As no withdrawals shall be made from the state joint local government account unless withdrawals into the single salary, single revenue and single running cost account of a local government, ” the speaker said.
He then committed the bill to the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for evaluation and report back to the House on December 21, 2020.
Earlier, Hon. Tanko Tunga (APC- Awe North), the Majority leader of the House while giving the substance of the bill said that the bill was to block leakages and ensure transparency and good governance at the local government levels in the state.
“The bill is for each local government council in the state to maintain single salary account, single revenue account for development to thrive at the grassroots,”
“Basically, the aim is to ensure that many challenges facing the various local governments in the state are brought to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated for the benefit of our people.
The House unanimously agreed for the bill to scale into second reading.
