‘4 Plateau LGs misappropriated N1bn in 17 months’

Four local government areas in Plateau state misappropriated over N1 billion in 17 months, a committee examining the operations of the 17 LGs during the tenure of Jonah David Jang revealed yesterday.
The chairman of the committee Daniel Fanto while submitting the findings of the committee yesterday said millions of naira were spent on frivolous items such as fueling/travelling allowance, food/entertainment, provision of financial assistance and imprest.
The committee was inaugurated on the July 16 with a term of reference to include examining the inflow of funds to the local government councils from March 2014 to July 2015.
Governor Lalong had in July sacked the PDP led local government chairmen over what he then described as corruption and replaced them with transition committees.
However, the findings of the Fanto led committee said “in Shendam local government alone, the sum of N195 million was spent on entertainment for the period of January 2014 to December 2014.”
It noted that in Pankshin LG, the sum of N40 million was spent in January 2015 alone for entertainment, hiring/fueling of vehicles, assistance and security where as only the sum of N3.3 million was spent on projects for that month.
“In Mikang, one Michilia Nig. Ltd was awarded a contract for the construction of 2No unit charlets at Kangmi resort for N32 million while in actual fact, the company quoted for only N20.334,654.36. In Riyom LGC, 27 capital projects were awarded at one sitting (Feb. 25th 2015) amounting to N722,825,002.78.”
Fanto said public funds are shared to other officials other than the chairmen in the name of security votes.
All efforts to reach the PDP chairman, Raymond Dabo failed but the ousted chairman of Shendam LG, Kemi Nshe described the report as false and an attempt to blackmail him and the other ousted chairmen.
“The APC is just trying to witch hunt us and it is unfortunate. Money cannot just be removed from the LG’s coffers by the chairmen. I am not the accounting officer,” he said.