Benue Assembly warns councils against financial mismanagement

COUNCIL chairmen in Benue State have been warned by the Benue State House of Assembly not to mismanage their funds in their care as the assembly would not spare any one found wanting in the discharge of his duty.

Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Terkimbir Ikyange gave the warning against the backdrop of allegations leveled by the Caretaker Chairman of Okpokwu LGA, Godwin Iduh against some principal stakeholders in area including the Deputy Speaker, Mr. James Okefe and Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Value Re-Orientation Mr. Godwin Idoko. They were accused of meddling into the finances of council.

Mr. Ikyange also frowned at an online publication entitled,”Okpokwu LGA Crisis: The untold story,” where it was alleged that the Deputy Speaker and the Special Adviser are arm twisting the council to divert the monthly allocation of the council.

It was in this in view of this allegations that the house at its sitting on Wednesday summoned the chairman and members of Okpokwu Local Government Caretaker Committee as well as the owner of the online blog, ordering them to appear before it next Tuesday September 22, 2015 for explanations.

The House arrived at the decision following a debate on a motion of urgent public importance, moved by the member representing Kwande West, Mr. Benjamin Nungwa, who drew the attention of the House to the said publication.

Nungwa lamented that the allegation levelled by the Chairman of Okpokwu Local Government, Chris Idu are weighty and capable of embarrassing the state and called on the House to investigate the matter.

Commenting on the matter, the Majority Leader, Mr. Benjamin Adanyi, Mr. Terhemba Chabo, Gboko West, Mr. Joseph Ojobo, Ogbadibo, Mr. Johnson Egli, Otupko-Akpa and Mr. Dominic Ucha, Tiev-Vandeikya state constituency, all urged the House to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegation and come out with appropriate recommendations to the House.