The leader of the Chanchaga Local Government legislative council in Niger State, Yehuza Etsu,
has revealed that the council is unable to account for N395 million allocated to the Minna Development Fund.
His statement came during a hearing of the Investigative Committee probing allegations of gross misconduct and financial mismanagement against suspended Council Chairman Aminu Ladan.
Etsu, who appeared as a star witness, said the legislative council did not know how the N395 million, accrued from two percent monthly allocations to the Minna Development Fund between December 2022 and June 2025, was utilised.
The Director of Public Prosecution and lead counsel for the committee, Usman Baba, accused the suspended chairman of nine violations of the Niger State Local Government laws.
These include misappropriation of council funds, illegal allocation of market plots, refusal of directors to appear before the council, failure to provide accountability on the Minna Development Fund, unlawful contract awards, absence of Finance and General Purpose Committee meetings, and ignoring invitations from local government legislators.
Baba explained that the Minna Development Fund receives a monthly allocation of N20 million from the Ministry of Local Government, intended to support overstretched primary schools and health facilities in the state capital.
“From December 2022 to June 2025, the council received a total of N395 million from the Ministry of Local Government. As legislators, we do not know how the money was spent. In fact, the funds appear to have disappeared,” he said.
Under cross-examination by Anthony Orifumishe, lead counsel for the suspended chairman, Etsu acknowledged that there were months when the allocations were not released.
He also admitted that no evaluation report had been prepared to verify the progress of projects, despite earlier claims that some projects were only 40% complete, even though funds had been disbursed for 90% completion.
The committee has so far heard from five witnesses, including the council secretary, former and current directors of the Works Department, and the immediate past leader of the Chanchaga Local Government Legislature.
