ABDULRAHMAN AbdulRazaq, the Governor of Kwara State has inaugurated an eight-man committee to investigate federal allocations accrued to the 16 local government areas of the state as well as their share of the state’s internally generated revenue.
A press statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor Monday evening, disclosed that members of the committee were mandated to investigate funds received and disbursed to the local government councils from May 29, 2019 to date.
“In pursuance of the powers conferred on the Governor of Kwara State under the Commission of Inquiry Law CAP, C17 Laws of Kwara State, 2006 and other enabling laws in that regard, I, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Governor of Kwara State, hereby constitute a panel of inquiry into local government federal allocations and IGR accruing to local government councils from May 29 to date,” the statement read.
The panel which has retired Justice Mathew Olabamiji Adewara as chairman and Sabitiyu Grillo as the Secretary is to submit its report in two weeks time.
Abdulrahman who revealed that the panel was unveiled following an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the House of Assembly to investigate the issue, enjoined its members to find out the amounts received by local governments as statutory allocation from the federal government.
In particular, the governor said part of the mandate of the panel is to investigate the veracity of the claim of N300 million monthly deduction by the Kwara State Government from the local government funds from May 29 2019 to date.
He also charged the panel’s members to determine ‘whether the state government borrowed money from banks or financial institutions to pay salaries at any point in time and how the funds mentioned above were spent monthly by the JAAC from May 29, 2019 to date.
“Determine the duplicity or otherwise of any Kwara State public official on the matter of local government funds; and provide any other information that may assist the State Government in ensuring accountability at all times with respect to the state’s activities and the local governments,” he said.