The Kano Transition Committee (GTC) has warned local government chairmen in the state to refrain from using public funds to finance the upcoming supplementary elections in the state and federal constituencies.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Baffa Bichi, and made available to journalists in Kano on Friday.

The committee said it “wishes to draw the attention of all the 44 Local government council chairmen and their managements and advise them to desist from the alleged round-tripping of public funds between their councils and the state’s ministry for local governments”.

It further advised them to “operate strictly in accordance with all the relevant financial regulations and extant guidelines.”

ALGON Refutes Allegations

But in its reaction, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Kano State denied the allegations.

The umbrella organization of all the elected local government chairmen stated that such spurious allegations are common whenever there is a change in leadership.

In particular, they reminded the signatory of a similar allegation made against the former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, in 2014, of using public funds siphoned from the 44 LGs to finance his presidential ambition.

Kano ALGON Chairman Bappa Muhammad emphasized the need for the signatory to desist from unnecessarily heating the polity by making such unfounded allegations in the interest of peace and the security of the State.

“This response is only meant to set the records straight, even though the ‘Advisory’ was issued prior to the gubernatorial election and the subsequent inauguration of the Transition Committee,” he said.(Channels TV)