Five Councillors in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State have accused the management of refusing to pay their allowances for three months.
The local government officials, at a news conference on Thursday in Gusau, urged the State House of Assembly to intervene on the issue.
Their spokesman, Sani Ibrahim, alleged: “We are paid our salaries but we do not get funds to run our offices.
“The local government Chairman, Alhaji Lawali Abdullahi, has withheld our imprest from February to April.
“We want the lawmakers to intervene.”
Ibrahim listed others affected to include Sagir Sani (Galadima Ward), Kasimu Nura (Kungurki Ward), Babangida Ibrahim (Yankaba Ward) and Kabiru Sani (Kagara Ward).
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the council Chairman, Alhaji Lawali Abdullahi, and 11 councillors of the area were elected into office in April 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Abdullahi and six councillors however defected from APC to the Peoples Democratic Party last month, a situation that created intra-party distrust among members of the two political parties.
Ibrahim added: “We are appealing to the Zamfara State House of Assembly that has the responsibility of monitoring the affairs of local government councils in the state to intervene and fight for us
“We have been consulting with the council chairman over this issue but he has refused to listen to us.
“He has chosen to pay only councillors who defected along with him to the PDP.”
Reacting to the allegations, Abdullahi said they had no merit.
He said: “I cannot withhold anybody’s imprest or allowances because of any political differences.
“Sometimes we face financial difficulties, that is why aside councillors, I, as chairman, has no allowances to run my office.
“I have reported the paucity of funds to the highest authority with the aim of resolving it.
“It is not right for my colleagues to start making wild allegations.
“The councillors are getting wild.
“Yesterday (Thursday), they attacked me in Gusau at the Secretariat of the Ministry for Local Government.
“This is very unfortunate and worrisome.”
