Group urges FCT Minister to monitor councils’ revenue, expenditure

By Stanley Onyekwere

A group, the Abuja Original Inhabitants , has admonished The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to publish all allocations made to the six Area Councils in the FCT as well as ensure strict monitoring of activities by the council chairmen.
Leader of the group, Yunusa Yusuf who made the call while briefing newsmen on how to address challenges of development at the grassroots, condemned the lingering problem of non-payment of salaries to councils’ staff and absence of development.
According to him, “It is clear that the FCT Minister, Malam Bello is making appreciable efforts in projects implementation, especially within the capital city, but we strongly demand that he publishes all monthly allocations made to these councils from the Joint Account Allocations Committee (JAAC).
“Publishing the allocations, as it used to be the case in the past, does not only show transparency and accountability, but it will also enable the people to verify claims by the Council chairmen that they do not receive regular allocations from the FCT Administration.
“We the original inhabitants in the FCT strongly suspect a fishy motive and relationship between the council chairmen and the Administration as far as the JAAC allocations are concerned, particularly in recent times.”
He continued: “We gathered that the immediate past Permanent Secretary was responsible for the stoppage.
“I don’t understand why someone would do that, but that is in the past now, we call on the Minister to make amends and start publishing the allocations, effective this month.”
Furthermore, Yusuf while questioning the use of the Paris fund recently returned to Nigeria which the FCT benefited, he said:“What have they done with the FCT’s share of over N2 billion Paris refunds, with the second batch of not less than N1.2 billion already received?
“In our opinion, the chairmen are making huge monies from this but are not using it for the purposes they are meant for, and the Area Councils Services Secretariat which should monitor them.
“This will to ensure judicious use of resources and delivery of campaign promises made to the people just keep quite in a manner that we can safely conclude is a connivance.
“So let the Minister publish the allocations so that we can demand accountability from our elected leaders.”