Abia State House of Assembly had on Tuesday set up a committee to investigate the tertiary institutions in the state over non-payment of staff salaries despite receiving monthly subventions from the state government.
The House sets up the committee to investigate non-remittance of revenues generated by these institutions which include the Abia State University (ABSU), Abia State Polytechnic, Abia State Health Management Board, School of Nursing and others.
According to findings by campusbiz, the majority leader of the House, Solomon Akpulonu, lamented the level of corruption in some of the institutions and called on the House to investigate their operations with a view to put an end to the ugly tide.
Akpulonu, who represents Obingwa East Constituency, stated that some of the indicted institutions operate up to twenty accounts without being accountable.
“For example, Abia state polytechnic has up to twenty accounts that empty into private pockets. Mr. Speaker, some of these agencies of Government generate monies but all the funds go into private accounts. We must call them to give account,” he stated.
Supporting the motion, the deputy leader of the House, Pau; Taribo, said the matter raised by his colleague is very important.
“I have discovered that among Heads of the institutions of government, there are bitter fightings among management staff, and you ask, what are they fighting for? Nothing else other than how to embezzle the money that is supposed to be used to run these institutions and pay their workers’ salaries,” Taribo noted.
Ruling on the matter, the Speaker of the House, Chinedum Orji, agreed with the submissions of his colleagues before the plenary.
Orji further announced the different groups of committees to carry out the investigations of the state-owned institutions.
Funmilola Bolaji is a Researcher, Writer and a trained Educationist; she’s the editor of Campusbiz Journal. You may want to reach her via for Campusbiz Journal related inquiries only.
