Group accuses Kaduna officials of looting LG Treasury
Ahead of the May 29 handover date, a group, Kaduna Human Rights Association, on Friday demanded the freezing of the accounts of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
It alleged that currently, there was gross mismanagement of local government’s funds in the state.
The group, which petitioned the outgoing state Governor, Mukhtar Yero, over what it described as “last-minute “asset grab” by senior government officials in collaboration with some civil servants,” also, called for the suspension of the issuance of Kaduna State statutory rights of occupancy in the state.
The group’s Executive Director, Mr. Saddau Garba, in a signed petition, obtained by our correspondent in Kaduna on Friday, noted that available information had it that some government officials were going into landed property in the state with the sole aim of acquiring it before the May 29 handover date.
Garba said it was imperative that the issuance of the state statutory rights of occupancy be halted and freeze the accounts of the 23 Local Government Areas.
This, he argued that this would ensure proper accountability for the in-coming administration of the former FCT minister, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, in the state.
The petition read in part, “The information at our disposal reveal that some Kaduna State Government officials are currently going into some government landed property within the state with the sole aim of acquiring and carving out plots of land to themselves and some selected individuals before the expiration of the tenure of the present regime.
“Some of the affected property are No. 6, Wurno Road, GRA Kaduna; the Eid Ground, located along the Maje-Park Road, Zaria, to mention but a few.
“Sir, going by the provision of the Land Use Act, you are expected to superintend and to hold in trust all lands within the state and more particularly to protect and preserve public lands in the state.”
The petition further prayed that in order for the in-coming administration of El-Rufai to start on a good note, withdrawals from the joint accounts of the local governments be halted forthwith.
It added, “The information we received regarding the operations of the 23 local government areas joint accounts in the state is worrisome. These local government areas are presently under the control of illegal contraptions called caretaker committees that are not recognised by our laws, and supervised by the Ministry of Local Governments.
“For prudent management of resources and accountability, withdrawals from their joint accounts must be suspended forthwith to enable the incoming administration to start on a good pedestal.”
Source: punch