Members of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee in Ogun have denied the allegation of fund diversion against the state government.
Speaking at the House of Assembly on Friday in Abeokuta, they maintained that every fund approved by the committee passed through the various Local Government Council Accounts.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the assembly on Thursday directed the Accountant General of the state, Mr Babatunde Aregbesola and other JAAC committee members to appear before it on Friday.
The assembly said this was for clarifications over allegation of LG fund diversion against Gov. Dapo Abiodun-led administration.
Suspended chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Mr Wale Adedayo, had alleged that local government areas in the state had not received any allocation from the state since 2021.
Adedayo, who was suspended by seven councillors in the council area on Thursday, had in a letter written to the national leader of the party and former Governor, Olusegun Osoba, begging him to convince the governor to release monies meant for council areas.
He also wrote a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), calling on the anti-graft agency to investigate all allegations levelled against the state government as regards LG allocations.
JAAC members, however, argued that the process of fund administration for JAAC took place monthly at a meeting where all first line charges were aggregated among LG chairmen and payment made.
The process of fund administration included primary school teachers’ salaries, LG pension, traditional council, leave bonus and check-off dues of labour unions.
According to them, there are instances when the state government had to augment shortfall to allow all the local governments to take care of all their first line charges.
Members of the committee, who appeared before the assembly on the enquiry over the allegation of fund diversion, included the Accountant General, Mr Tunde Aregbesola, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr Rotimi Akinlesi.
Others are the Chairman, Association of Local Government Chairmen and Chairman, Ijebu Ode Local Government, Tunde Emiola Gazal; Chairman, Association of Local Government Pensioners, Pastor Benedict Ademoye; and representatives of SUBEB, among others.
Responding, the Speaker, Mr Olakunle Oluomo, explained that the Evidence Act did not allow for response to speculations, pointing out that the assembly was yet to receive formal petition from any quarter in respect of the allegations.
He assured that when such petition was received, the assembly would act on it immediately.
Oluomo urged the JAAC team to provide all relevant documents in respect of their presentation to the assembly for further legislative actions. (NAN). READ ALSO:
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