A fresh crisis may be brewing between the Nasarawa state governor, Tanko Al Makura and the House of Assembly over the N2billion Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme Fund, meant for the local councils.

The Assembly, which failed to impeach the governor recently, wants him to release the money immediately. There was no response from the Governor’s office.

Mr.Anthony Obande (PDP-Doma South), Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, urged the governor to release the money at a meeting with 13 local government chairmen in Lafia.

Obande said that the release of the money to them would enable them to execute capital projects that would have direct bearing on the lives of the rural dwellers for the overall development of the country.

“As you can see, this is a joint house committee comprising house Committee on Security, Public Complaints and Petition and house Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to look into some key issues affecting local government staff.

“We have received two petitions from local government staff, ranging from non payment of about two months staff salaries and apart from that a member of the assembly has also raised a motion to look in to the issue of non payment of two months of some local government staff salaries.

“This meeting is not to witch hunt any body but to address issues affecting the state, especially on the non-payment of two months staff salaries of some local government; SURE-P fund is not made for the payment of local government salaries but it is for the development at the grassroot.

Obande decried the attitude of the state government on the use of SURE-P fund and called for a change of attitude in the interest of peace, progress and development of the state.

According to him, the state government has no power to utilise the SURE-P fund and called on the local government chairmen to be patient.

He added that the assembly would ensure the release of the money for the overall development of the country.

Obande urged the chairmen to compile and submit all the financial records of their various local governments to enable the joint committee to do a good job that would stop the lingering problem of non payment of staff salaries.

The lawmaker further advised the local government chairmen to check absenteeism, lateness to duties among its staff to improve productivity to enable them to contribute their quota to national development.

Responding, Mr.Sulieman Wambai, the Chairman of Lafia Local Government, thanked the assembly for its efforts in solving the lingering staff salaries problem in the state.

The chairman promised to tender all the financial records of the local governments to the committee for necessary action, to end the problems.