By Tina George, Minna
The Niger state gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Umar Nasko has alleged that the state government had mismanaged the N500 billion received as allocation from the Federation Account since inception of the APC government in the state.
The PDP Candidate has repeatedly called on the state government to account for the N500 billion so far received from the federal government, further alleging that there was nothing tangible to show on which the funds had been spent.
In what seem to be a comeback on Monday, the state government replied its opposition saying that it had only gotten N263 billion in the last 42 months.
The state Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Abubakar Zakari during a briefing with APC stakeholders said that the opposition is only grasping on air as their claim has no evidence.
“They said we have spent N500 billion but within the last 42 months, N263 billion have been raked by the state government from all its sources. I am still looking for the N500 billion and I have not seen it.”
Giving a breakdown of the income, the Commissioner said that N131 billion was accrued to the state from the federation account, N33 billion was collected from the capital market, N18 billion was internally generated while other sources brought in N73 billion to the state.
He further explained that the debt of the state included the N10.8 billion ” legacy debt ” left behind by the last Peoples Democratic Party PDP administration dispelling rumour making the rounds that the state was owing over N100 billion.
However, Nasko immediately took to his social media accounts saying, “They say they received N261 billion, Nigerlites ask them how much came to JAAC and LGAs. No N50 million project in any LGA, over N500 billion wasted.
“APC wasted N500 billion, built fence N1.9 billion, hold Summit N350 million, 2.8 km road N18 billion, Jet N3 billion, Hospital Maintainace N3 billion. No housing, No wage raise, No Bursary /scholarship, No light, No Road.”
