Kalu Wants Govs Who Tamper With Council Funds Jailed
Emir preaches religious tolerance
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja
Governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State has urged the Federal Government to put in place machinery to convict and jail governors and public officers who tamper with public funds, particularly Local Government funds.
The governor said statutory deductions should not be confused with the fund in question.
Speaking with THISDAY in Katsina at the weekend during the turbaning of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, Kalu said, "Any governor that tampers with Local Government funds illegally should be jailed, I mean I'm in full support of that because it is not a problem. Many people out there say the governors tamper with Local Government funds without knowing there are statutory deductions they have to do.
"If out of those ones, not only the Local Government funds, any governor that tampers with Local government or public funds should pay dearly for it", he said.
On why he suspended his trip outside the country to attend the ceremony, he said it was because of the support that the Speaker has been giving the governors in this democracy.
Asked if he was satisfied with the way the House was being run, the governor said, "There is no issue of being satisfied because this is still a young democracy. There is no system that is perfect so they have to continue learning but so far, so good", he said.
In his message Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Kabir Usman, said they were sending Masari out as an ambassador of the state who would thenceforth, be admitted into the Council of the Emirate to make suggestions and be part of the decision-making process.
The emir counseled the people to embrace peaceful co-existence, as those who preached discrimination among religions were "agents of destabilisation".
"We want you to advise us and we will advise you. We want cooperation because those in government have to move the country forward. There should be differences but not on the basis of religion. Christians and Muslims should go to Churches and Mosques.
"Those sponsoring crisis are agents of destabilization and government should not allow it. The genesis of the problem was when people started to pay deaf ears to the tenets of various religions", he said.
The ceremony which turned out a testing ground for politicians in the 2007 races had in attendance three former military leaders, Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Others include Senate President Adolphus Wabara, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, PDP Board of Trustees Acting Chairman, Chief Anthony Anenih, National Security Adviser, General Aliu Mohammed Gusau, NLC president Adams Oshiomole and former Minister of Labour, Musa Gwadabe.
Others are Information Minister, Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu and the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais.
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