By Aideloje Ojo
Minna
Niger state chapter of the All progressives Congress (APC) has called on Governor Mu’azu Babangid Aliyu to account for over N13.4 billion ward development project funds deducted from the state and local governments joint account, but not released to the project committees.
The party in a statement in Minna yesterday by the state publicity secretary, Mr Jonathan Vatsa, said the recent apology by the governor in a state-wide broadcast “can only be considered if he shows remorse by refunding the money to the state confers.”
It said: “We are, however, more worried that the ward development project that the government always take credit for, has been hugely a fraud. We are well armed with empirical facts that since 2010 to date despite the deduction from local government and state Joint account the money were never released to the Wards.”
According to him, the APC has it on a good account that in 2012 releases were made from the month of January to March only living a balance of N 2, 466,000,000 and that the same was experienced in 2013 with release made for the months of January to march living balance of N2,466,000,000 deducted but not accounted for.
In a swift reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ebije Israel, described the allegations of financial recklessness as “irresponsible” and called on the APC to avail itself with the authentic records of the utilisation of the ward development project funds already available in public domains.
“Allegation against Dr. Aliyu on the WDP funds is false; every single kobo set aside for the laudable project is accounted for. The WDP initiative has received international recommendations. The World Bank has indicated interest and since partnered with Niger state government. The project is one of the best initiatives of the Governor Aliyu administration.”
