Suswam’s Govt Looted Over N6b Council funds, alleges SSG

The Secretary to the Benue State Government (SSG), Targema Takema, has alleged that over N6billion local government funds went into private accounts annually, during the eight-year tenure of ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam.

The SSG, who spoke at a reception organised in his honour by the Mbaiwoo Development Association in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State, said contrary to the 29,000 work force projected as workers of the local governments

by the previous administration, a biometric audit of council workers showed that only 14,000 workers were employed in    the 23 councils.

He said the bloated figure took between N600million and N700million of local government funds monthly, which went into wrong hands.

He said as a member of the transition committee, he was privy to the fact that the indebtedness of the state as established by the committee “now stands at N130billion as against the N90billion earlier mentioned,” adding that arrangements had been concluded to ensure that those who stolefrom the pubic treasury were made to return the money.