Leadership (Abuja)
Msugh Ityokura
16 November 2008
Makurdi — All is not well at the Ukum Local Government Council of Benue state, as the Legislative arm is on the verge of sacking the council chairman, David Sevav for alleged financial impropriety.
This is coming barely two months after a 35-paged document tagged "An open letter to the governor, truth versus propaganda serial 1" was sent to the governor and copied anti graft agencies, the police, state security services (SSS) and the media, series of graft allegations against officials in the state have continued to emerge.
At the heart of the crisis is said to be the 200 hundred million naira released to each local government council in the state by the governor.
Leadership Sunday learnt that the said money was released as loan to the 23 local government councils in the state by the treasury, and was meant for the improvement of rural infrastructures, particularly the opening up of rural roads.
But Leadership Sunday, learnt that the chairman is been accused by the legislators of introducing another dimension into the use the use of the funds.
Similarly, our correspondent also learnt that the chairman, like his colleagues in other local governments is facing impeachment over what the legislators the manner in which he applied the money in executing identified projects.
A source at the council, told our correspondent that the legislators are have concluded plans to impeach the chairman over the alleged of impropriety.
The also sources told leadership Sunday that part of the money already being released to some contractors for the road project, which the councilors and other politicians in the area have raised alarm, and also asking questions over details of the contracts being awarded.
But when reached via telephone, the chairman, told our correspondent that there was a deep miss understanding between him and the councilors, that it had nothing to do with financial irregularities as being alleged.
"Of course we have internal crises on hand in Ukum but it is not all about the money" he said assuring that the crises would soon be resolved.
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