Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan yesterday asked the Bayelsa State government to “thoroughly investigate” the alleged monthly deductions of N2.5 million from allocations to the 24 Local Development Areas of the state during his tenure as governor.
The Vice President also called for “full disciplinary action” against any persons or group involved in the deductions.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, Mr. Ima Niboro said in a statement in Abuja, yesterday that Jonathan “never authorized any deduction in the allocations during his tenure as Governor.”
The government of the former Governor of the State, Chief Dieprieye Alamieyeseigha had created 24 new local government councils. But, following the refusal of the federal government to recognise them, citing constitutional issues, they were reverted to Local Development Authorities (LDAs). The former governor then approved the payment of N5 million monthly to each of the LDAs.
When Dr Jonathan was sworn in as governor in December 2005, he increased the figure to N10 million per month.
On Wednesday, the Bayelsa State government announced a probe into the allocations, saying that instead of the N10 million per month approved by Dr Jonathan, the LDAs were receiving only N7.5 million per month.
The statement read in part: ” The Vice President’s attention has been drawn to reports of an alleged deduction of N2.5 million from allocations to the 24 Local Development Authorities of Bayelsa State during the tenure of the immediate past administration. Consequently, I wish to state the following facts: the Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as Governor of Bayelsa State, actually increased the allocation to the Local Development Authorities from N5 million to N10 million to assist in low intensity development projects by the Councils.
“The Vice President never authorised any deduction in the allocations during his tenure as Governor. If there were indeed any such deductions, the Vice President considers such as illegal and immoral. And the Vice President supports the decision of the Bayelsa State government to investigate the matter and take disciplinary action against any person or persons found to be linked with this illegal deduction.”
Oct72007