By Ubong Sampson – Uyo
Secretary of Mkpat Enin local government council, Eno Ekanem, last week, exposed the council chairman, Aniekpon Ekpo before the state’s House of Assembly committee on local government and chieftaincy affairs currently investigating allegations of financial misappropriation and abuse of office on the chairman.
Responding to interrogations from the investigating committee, Ekanem denied claims by the chairman that he had sought and obtained the consent of the council’s Finance and General Purpose Committee during one of its meetings, before lifting the council’s grader out of the council premises repairs.
The chairman’s claim was in defense of an allegation of abuse of office contained in a petition against him by members of the legislative council.
Ten out of fifteen councillors had petitioned the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly alleging acts of financial misappropriation, abuse of office, among others.
On the allegation of misappropriation, the chairman was accused of receiving and spending funds belonging to the council through means not related to the council’s official bank account, claiming the act to contravene section 66(1) of the state’s local government administration laws.
“The council generates an average of N2 million monthly. The position of the law is that all funds of the local government shall be paid into the account of local government but this is not the case in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area as the internally generated revenue cannot be found in the local government’s account,” part of the petition read.
“Mr Ekpo has never given an account of the council’s IGR since he assumed office”, the spokesperson of the petitioners said, while reaffirming their case before the committee during its second hearing on the case.
In his defense, the Chairman, Aniekpon Ekpo admitted spending the council’s internally generated revenue council funds without letting it pass through the council’s official bank account.
“When you say council account, it is not only a bank account. There are funds paid at the council and receipts are given. It is not only when money passes through the bank that it is in the council account”, Ekpo said.
Ekpo, while responding to the allegation, said his administration hired a consultant to collect revenue for the council, but that the consultant remits the money directly to the council’s cashier, instead of depositing it into the council’s bank account.
“When we came in early, we said that rather than just keep money, we had to use the money to kickstart the projects that we had.
“So, it was not paid into the bank account. It was paid, cash to the cashier and there is a receipt for it,” the chairman defended further.
Mr Ekpo’s claim, however, contravenes section 66 subsection 1 of the Local Government Administration Law of Akwa Ibom State.
“Subject to the provision of this section, all funds of the local government shall be paid into the account of the local government and shall be applied to the administration, development and welfare of the inheritance thereof,” the law says.
Reacting to Mr Ekpo’s defense, Dennis Akpan, a member of the House Committee, said it is mandatory for all the council’s funds to be paid into the council’s bank account before expenditure.
Akpan represents Etinan State Constituency and also Deputy Leader of the House.
“We are talking about the Local Government Administration Law here, and that is where the councilors are basing their allegations.
“Abuse of office does not mean that you have taken money, but have you followed the laid down procedure especially when such provision has to do with the law which brought you into office?
“Even if you want to use the money, pay in first then you take it out and do whatever you want. But the law requires that you pay it first into the account of the local government. It is mandatory,” Akpan said.
The committee had adjourned the hearing and will sit again on Wednesday, October 27 to continue the case.
