Osagie Otabor, Akure
The Ondo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged phoney projects executed with the N119million deducted from the monthly allocation of the 18 local governments in the state.
It alleged that the illegal deduction was carried out in connivance with the council chairmen, State Accountant-General, Laolu Akindolire, and the State Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa.
The Ondo urged NULGE to immediately arrest Ondo ALGON Chairman and Chairman, Akoko Southwest local government, Mr. Oloruntegbe, Akinterinwa and Akindolire for the illegal deduction amounting to N357million.
Speaking at a press briefing in Akure, state President of NULGE, Comrade Bola Taiwo said they claimed was being deducted for the building of Comprehensive Healthcare Centres in all the local government areas.
Comrade Bola said the illegal deductions had made it impossible for council workers to receive full monthly salaries.
Bola appealed to the EFCC, to help recover the N357million to the coffers of the Ondo state local governments accounts.
He warned of industrial disharmony between workers and local government chairmen if the N357m is not returned as according to him, ‘the project has not been executed in any of the eighteen (18) Local governments in Ondo State
“We officially communicated the state government seeking to know its involvement in the illegal processes and we found out that the state government has no involvements; except for the complicit of the Commissioner for Finance and Accountant General of the state.
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“It should be noted that the funds accruing to us from the Federal Allocation already is not enough. Now, imagine 119 million Naira being deducted on monthly basis from the source.
“We want the EFCC to invite the Ondo State ALGON Chairman for questioning on why he decided to embark on these non-existing projects, and the Minister of Finance, Budget and planning, the minister of Justice, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Ondo State Commissioner of Finance, and the Accountant General of Ondo State on their complicit roles in the illegal projects.
“We also call on the EFCC to help us recover the three-month illegal deductions made so far and revert same to the Ondo State Local Governments accounts.
“We at NULGE would like to state without any measure of fear that if the three-months illegally deducted from our Local Governments accounts are not returned to us, and if any further deduction is illegally made at any future time, either by ALGON or any other group, NULGE cannot guarantee harmony between the Union and ALGON on one side and the collaborators on the other side”.
But Akinterinwa denied making any illegal deductions from the allocation of the local councils.
He dared the Ondo NULGE to invite the EFCC.
“The EFCC should come. What they are saying does not make sense to me. We do not tamper with local government allocations. Their money goes to their accounts.”
