By Amos Aar
THE AD HOC committee set up by the Benue State House of Assembly to investigate the activities of the twenty-three (23) local government caretaker committees since the inception of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration on May 29, 2023 has requested caretaker committee chairmen of the LGAs to submit necessary documents to it to commence the probe.
The documents which include Local Government Joint Allocation Committee (JAAC) from June, 2023 till date, records of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) banked and unbanked, bank statements of all incomes and expenditures, records of capital projects executed, records of other expenditures including wage bill and imprest, records of security votes received on monthly basis, salary payment vouchers and extras from GPC meetings were to be submitted to secretary to the ad hoc committee at the Benue State House of Assembly Complex, Makurdi.
Other documents, according to a statement signed by the ad hoc committee chairman, Hon. Saater Tiseer, who doubles as Majority Leader of the House, include imprest spread sheets indicating names of imprest holders and amount received per person from June last year till date, records of statutory deductions from FAAC allocations by the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, comprehensive staff list as at June this year and any other relevant information that may assist the commission in exercising its oversight duties.
The majority leader further disclosed that the ad hoc committee has released the itinerary of all visits to the 23 local government areas of the state at 10am each day beginning with Vandeikya local government area on July 15, 2024, Kwande, July 16, 2024, Katsina-Ala, July 17, 2024, Logo July 18, 2024, Buruku, July 18, 2024 and Tarka, July 22, 2024, Gboko, July 23, 2024.
On July 24,2024, the ad hoc committee will be in Ushongo, Konshisha will take its turn on July 25, 2024, Gwer West, July 29, 2024, Otukpo, July 30, 2024, Ohimini, July 31, 2024, Agatu, August 1, 2024, Apa, August 2, 2024, Ado, August 5, Okpokwu, July 6, 2024, Obi, July 7, 2024, Ogbadibo 8, 2024, Oju, August 9, 2024, Guma August 12, 2024 and Makurdi, August 13, 2024. All
The statement added that the committee will be at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on August 14, 2024.
National Record learnt that the ongoing probe maybe due to several alarms raised in some Benue quarters including a faction of the APC that the caretaker chairmen have collected huge federal allocations in the last one year without any single project to show for it.
