The Benue State House of Assembly recently recommended immediate suspension of 23 Local Government Council Chairmen and their deputies in the state for alleged misappropriation of funds.
Speaker of the House, Mr. Aondona Dajoh approved the suspension after consideration of the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the income and expenditures report forwarded to it by the governor.
According to the Speaker, the suspension became necessary in order to pave way for smooth and detailed investigation into the income and expenditures of the councils by the house.
The house equally resolved to extend the investigation to cover the whole tenure of the local government councils, saying the three months report into the finances of the councils has revealed serious infringements on the financial memorandum of local government and other extant laws governing the management of funds at the third tier of government.
Earlier while presenting the report, chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Mr. Peter Ipusu revealed that his committee discovered huge financial misappropriation from the 23 local government councils and recommended among other things, a resolution calling on the governor to suspend all the council chairmen in order to give way for detailed investigation into the income and expenditures of the councils.
The council chairmen have been directed to hand over government properties in their possession to the Director, General Services and Administration (DGSAs) in their respective local government councils.
