By Godwin Ojoshimite

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has set up a five – man committee to investigate alleged fraud in governor Al-Makura’s government.

The House had on resumption from recess mandated committees to embark on oversight function to various ministries and parastatals in the state.

Speaking on the floor of the Assembly on Monday, Godiya Akwashi, member representing Nasarawa Eggon West and Majority Leader informed the House that about four committees are ready with their report.

The committees, he said, are Public Account, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Capital Market, Commerce and Industry and Health.

Presenting its report, the committee on Public Account chaired by Francis Orugu said the state governor has been indulging in over budget expenditure.

He explained that an organization like the Nasarawa Investment Property Development Company, NIPDC, which was allocated N200 million as at June had spent over N400 million.

He also accused the governor of misappropriating the federal government flood relief funds of N400 million.

According to him, out of the N400 million, the state government made use of N35 million and could not account for the N365 million.

The committee also faulted the governor for the misappropriation of over N3 billion Sure-P funds approved for the state since the programme’s inception.

Orugu explained that only about 932 million naira has been put into proper use leaving the sum of over 2 billion naira unaccounted for.

Also presenting it report, the committee on Capital Market, Commerce and Industry chaired by Ibrahim Moskolo scored the administration of Governor Al-makura low in terms of budget performance.

He said the House approved N200 million for the Nasarawa Urban Development Board, NUDB but the agency has not received any money from the executive arm since the beginning of the budget year.

Also expressing his dissatisfaction on the floor of the House, the chairman committee on Finance and Appropriation, Philip Dunga, said his committee was taken for granted by the accountant general of the state and secretary to the state government.

According to him, the two government officials have refused to release financial statements of their expenditures.

He called on the House do all within its power to summon the two officials for the committee to ask them questions on their agencies.

Reacting to his complaint, the House ordered the clerk to issue a letter to the officials urging them to cooperate with the committee.

Other committees that presented their reports on the floor of the House had similar report of fraud and misappropriation of funds against the government.

At the end of deliberations, the House resolved to set up a five-man ad hoc committee to look into and review all reports submitted by its various committees.

It also mandated the committee to draw up all records of performance under the government of Al-Makura and submit its report to the House on Monday, November 11.