Lawmakers default five years shop fees

The Adamawa Government said on Tuesday that some members of state House of Assembly were among those who defaulted in payment for shops allocated to them five years ago at the Yola Central Market.

Alhaji Ahmed Gorko, Commissioner for Commerce, said while testifying before the House, on activities of the market that, the defaulters had resisted all attempts to recover the money.

Gorko said the ministry was considering revoking the allocation.

He told the lawmakers that the market, also known as ‘Jimeta Modern Market’, has 3,894 shops out of which 2,060 were allocated to the 21 local government councils of the state, while 1,000 went to traders.

The commissioner said the remaining shops were issued out on “special allocation” to civil servants, political appointees and lawmakers.

Gorko said out of the number, under special allocation, members of the state assembly were given 128 shops.

He said whereas the 21 local councils had fully paid for the 2,060 shops allocated to them, traders and those who benefited from the special allocation, including the lawmakers, were yet to pay.

He said the shops cost between N800,000 and N1 million, depending on the type.

When a member, Mr Jibrin Yelwa (PDP-Ganye) asked the commissioner to furnish the assembly with the list of the defaulting lawmakers, Gorko sought for time to compile and forward the names to the house.

The Speaker, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, while granting the request, however, admitted that he was among those that defaulted in payment.

The speaker said he had only paid half of the money for the shops since it was allocated to him five years ago.