The Chairman of Shiroro local government of Niger state, Suleiman Dauda Chukuba, has dismissed allegations of embezzlement of council funds against him by the council lawmakers, explaining that claims of suspension by the councilors is illegal and of no effect.
Chukuba stated this on Wednesday while speaking with journalists on the claim s by the councilors on purported embezzlement of N7m and other funds from the Internally Generated Revenue of the council.
It was learnt that on the strength of this allegations, the council lawmakers issued suspension order on the Chairman on Tuesday.
However, the suspension order was quashed same day by the state House of Assembly for lack of due process.
The state legislators, it was learnt, in a tripartite meeting with the council chairman and the councilors discovered that due process of impeachment or suspension of council chairman as enshrined in the local government laws of the state was not followed.
While speaking with journalists at the Shiroro local government Secretariat in Kuta, Chukuba insisted that his hands were clean, adding that, “I remain the chairman of the council. I didn’t embezzle any money”.
He explained that the 7 million Naira claimed by the councilors to have been embezzled was actually approved to organize a workshop for them before the Covid – 19 lockdown.
He said the workshop was however, rescheduled for 28th to 30th December 2020, adding that “the venue has been booked and workshop materials including bags and suits have been distributed to the lawmakers before they stormed out”.
Chukuba said that claims of embezzlement of internal revenue we’re false and totally misleading because the council’s internally generated revenue had collapsed due to banditry activities.
“I can tell you that there is no market in the local government that is opened because of the insecurity caused by the bandits. So where is the revenue coming from when our people can’t go to market. As it is now, almost all our markets are closed”.