From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna
Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger state has accused the governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, of starving the local government of funds in the state and thereby grounding their activities.
Niger APC’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Jonathan Vatsa, I a statement said it believed that the councils in the state were mere shadows of themselves.
According to him, local councils in Niger state were being issued cheques for salaries from the centre Joint Account like Ministries, Department and Agencies, instead of following the statutory laws of disbursement to the council from the account.
Vatsa disclosed that at best councils were given meager amount as over head cost after the salaries released without due consideration of the status of the councils as a tier of government.
APC therefore considered the governor’s pronouncement on the local government Chairmen as being dictatorial as his usual style and antics of saying opposite of what he does in reality.
“When Governor Aliyu came in 2007 he said that he will not tampered with local government councils fund, we are asking what is happening today?.
“He introduced progrmmes like the Ward Development Project as means of tampering with the local government funds. He used it as a political patronage for PDP members in the wards. We dare him to show the achievements of the Ward development projects and when last he released the money for the project.
“We in APC wish to congratulate the Commissioner for Local Government, Isah Liman Kantigi, for being bold and frank that the 10 kilometers roads have failed. 10kilometre road is one of the Governors antics to tamper with local government fund but the result today is that only projects in three local government areas have been completed five years after it was started in twenty local government areas.”
“If Niger state Government in it’s usual style consider our observation as an out burst of “failed Politicians” as he always call APC members, we dare him to publish truthfully between him and God what has been released on monthly basis to each of the local government councils in the state since 2007 to date,” APC challenged.
