Joint Account: Bello poised for showdown with Niger Assembly

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and the state House of Assembly may be heading for a possible showdown, following directive by the House that the Governor should reverse his decision on the abolition of the state and local government joint account.

After its sitting on Thursday, the House had directed the governor to immediately revert back to the state and local government joint account being operated in the state since 2000, in line with the provision of the Constitution.

That directive was not unconnected with the inability of 20 out of the 25 local government councils of the state to meet up with the payment of salaries in the last three months, since the abolition of the joint account.

The House’ resolution followed a motion under matters of urgent public importance moved by the deputy speaker, Hon. Husseini Ibrahim, (Agaie, APC), who drew the attention of the house to the hardship being faced by local government employees due to inability of the affected councils to meet up with their salary obligations.

It would be recalled that the governor, who has not hidden his reservation over the way and manner the state and local government accounts were being operated in the state, decided to abolished it in May this year.

While justifying the abolition, during a town hall/stakeholders meeting in Minna recently, the Governor said some of the local governments have nothing to offer in terms of development.