Adamawa Assembly summons deputy gov, SSG over N6bn W/Bank grant

The Adamawa state House of Assembly yesterday directed key members of the state cabinet to appear and brief it on security and governance issues in the state.
Those summoned include the state Deputy Governor, Hon. Martins Babale, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Special Duties, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Umar Bindir and Commissioner for Finance, Mahmud Sali Yunusa, who was directed to appear with all the heads of the revenue generating agencies in the state.
The decision to summon the affected government officials was taken at plenary where the lawmakers yesterday expressed serious concerns over the inability of the concerned government officials to either discharge their responsibilities as expected or comply with regulations in their official assignment, leading to negative developments in the state.
Those who spoke at the resumed sitting of the House expressed disappointment with the ineffective way and manner the affected officials handled their assigned responsibilities leading to insecurity and gross violation of financial regulations.
Specifically, the deputy governor is expected to answer questions on the efforts being made by the state government concerning the increasing rate of insecurity in the state, resulting in massive killings occasioned mostly by the farmers, herders’ clashes in the state which have become a daily occurrence in some local governments of the southern senatorial district of the state.
He is also expected to brief the lawmakers on the disbursement of relief materials to IDPS being handled by his ministry. It has continued to find its way into open markets amid allegations of diversion and shoddy deals in the disbursement of materials among other issues.
The commissioner of finance and heads of revenue generating agencies are also expected to brief the House on the state of finance and details of active and dormant accounts of the state government as well as revenues accruing to the state from January to July 2018.
On his part, the SSG, Bindir, is to answer questions concerning the N6 billion multi-sectoral World Bank grant given to the state. It is alleged that the whereabouts of the money is still unknown to most people in the state.
Briefing journalists at the end of the plenary, House spokesman who is also member representing Shelleng constituency, Hon. Abubakar Isa, said the decision by the lawmakers to summon the affected officials was in the overall interest of the state.