• Kaduna Assembly suspends 3 LG chairmen over alleged financial mismanagement

Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman of Nassarawa local council, Kano, Hon. Auwalu Lawan Shu’aibu has been suspended from office indefinitely.

The suspension of Shu’aibu, fondly call Aranpasu was contained in a letter issued and signed by eight out of 11 councilors of the council.

The councillors directed the suspended Chairman to henceforth hand over the mantle of leadership to his deputy, Hon. Muazu Abubakar Adamu pending the conclusion of the investigation.

In the suspension letter made available to journalists on Tuesday, the suspended council boss was accused of financial misappropriation, absenteeism, nepotism, gross misconduct and violation of the council’s rules among other offences.

Specifically, the councillors accused Aranpasu of leasing out the internally generated revenue collection to his close friends, and failure to execute community development projects, and humanitarian works at the ward levels in the council area.

Also, the council legislators accused their chairman of diverting funds approved for the purchase of official vehicles and interfering in the affairs of the legislative council, thereby causing confusion, Chaos and sabotage.

According to the letter, ” your failure to observe and fully comply with the check and balance spelt out on the existing guideline and financial regulation governing the receipt and disbursement of council funds.

” Your failure to render monthly statements of income and expenditure and annual reports to the legislative council to consider a d debate upon in order to ensure accountability and enforce the performance as enshrined in the constitution”.

Efforts to get the reaction of the suspended Chairman were not successful as his telephone line was switched off.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended three local government chairmen over alleged mismanagement of funds meant for projects in their localities.

The three local government chairmen are Mr Mathias Siman (PDP), Kaura, Mr Nasara Rabo (APC), Kagarko, and Mr Salasi Musa (PDP), Chikun.

The decision followed the submission of an investigation report on the financial activities of five Local Government chairmen, earlier presented to the House.

The report, which was presented by the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Mrs Munira Tanimu (Lere East Constituency – APC), was unanimously adopted by the House.

Tanimu alleged that the affected chairmen did not adhere to due process in the discharge of their official responsibilities, as provided in Section 35 (23) of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Law, 2016.

“Recall that on July 18, 2023, the House mandated the ad-hoc committee on investigation, to as a matter of urgency, investigate the financial activities of five local governments.

“This is as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The committee thoroughly investigated the financial activities, including the capital and recurrent expenditures of the five local governments, namely, Chikun, Kaura, Kagarko, Soba and Birnin Gwari before writing its report,” she said.

The three chairmen were suspended for six months, pending further investigation, while their Birnin Gwari and Soba counterparts who were absolved of wrongdoing are to maintain their seats.

The suspended council’s chairmen were directed to vacate their offices and hand them over to their vice chairmen.

They were also ordered not to be seen within the vicinity of their local government secretariats, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Yusuf Liman, called on all political officeholders to desist from embezzling public funds.

Liman added that whoever was found wanting would be punished according to the law and without sentiment.