LG Boss Asked To Refund N44m To Council’s Coffer

For allegedly misappropriating council funds meant for the development of Apa Local  Government Area of Benue State, the council Chairman, Hon. Cornelius Odeje, has been  asked by the Legislative Council to refund over N44m allegedly misappropriated for  various projects in the area.

In a resolution signed by the leader of the Apa Legislative Council, Sylvester Amali  and seven other councillors made available to P.M.NEWS on Wednesday, the councillors  claimed that the council chairman has been falsifying data regarding his expenditure  since 2008. They also alleged that most projects the chairman claimed he completed  were either not executed or partially executed.

They explained that Hon. Odeje has for the past one year, adamantly refused to  present income and expenditure account to the legislative council, even though he  has continued to expend the council’s resources.

The local council chairman was also accused of “blatant refusal to appear before the  House to explain some financial transactions of the local government council which  he carried out, an attitude the councilors described as “gross disobedience to  constituted authority”.

The Apa Legislative Council stated that it arrived at the resolution after carefully  studying the report of the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate the financial  activities of the embattled local council chairman.

In his response, however, Apa local council chairman, Mr. Cornelius Odeje denied any  financial wrongdoing. He told journalists that he had always followed due process in  all financial transactions.

Meanwhile, the Benue State House of Assembly has stepped into the impasse by  inviting the councillors and the council chairman for a meeting with the House  Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

—Ubong George/ Makurdi

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