By: Oluwatosin Adesola
The Ondo State Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa has denied the allegation of conniving with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, to illegally deduct N119million from the monthly allocation of local governments in Ondo state.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), had raised the alarm over illegal deductions of N119million from the monthly allocation of local governments in Ondo state by the 18 council chairmen in connivance with the state Accountant-General, Laolu Akindolire and the State Commissioner for Finance, Wale Akinterinwa.
The Ondo state chapter of the Union also sought immediate arrest of the state ALGON Chairman and Chairman, Akoko Southwest local government, Mr Oloruntegbe; Akinterinwa and Akindolire by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly deducting N119million in the last three months, amounting to N357million.
Speaking with newsmen in Akure, the state President of NULGE, Comrade Bola Taiwo said the council chairmen under the umbrella of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) allegedly connived with the federal ministry of finance and the Accountant-General of the federation and their state counterparts to deduct the money for phony Comprehensive Healthcare Centres in all the local government areas.
The NULGE President appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to help recover the three-months illegally deductions and revert same to the Ondo state local governments accounts, warning that failure to recover the money, the Union would not be able to guarantee industrial harmony between workers and local government chairmen in the state.
However reacting in an interview, Akinterinwa denied making any illegal deductions from the allocation of the local councils.
The Commissioner dared the Ondo NULGE to invite the EFCC over the alleged deductions.