Some suspended chairmen of councils in Benue state have shunned the probe panel set up by the state government.
This is as the Benue State House of Assembly commences probe of the 23 suspended local government areas chairmen in the state over misappropriation of public funds.
The Assembly ad hoc committee had last week announced its invitation to the embattled council chairs to appear before it with all records of account from June 2022 to date.
Three suspended council chairmen of Guma, Michael Uba; Katsina-Ala, Alfred Atera; and Gboko, Isaac Mtom, were expected to appear before the committee on Monday but failed to appear, according to Punch.
It was gathered that only the council treasurers of the three LGAs appeared and were grilled by the committee members for hours.
It was gathered that the committee received financial documents from the treasurers of the councils, who took turns explaining the incomes and expenditures of their respective councils from June 2022 to June 2023.
The treasurer for Guma Local Government Council, Charles Iordye, told journalists that he was asked to submit all the bank statements and financial records of his council to the committee.
The committee chairman, Peter Ipusu, said members had commenced their investigation in earnest and had provided the suspended chairmen with an avenue to clarify the financial impropriety within the period under review.
The three-man ad hoc committee waited for several hours for the three council chairmen, but they did not show up as scheduled.
Another three suspended council chairmen of Gwer West, Ohimini and Ushongo, and their treasurers are scheduled to appear before it today (Wednesday).
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