Ebonyi Government on Thursday threatened to sanction any bank that continued to withhold local government funds in the state.
Dr Ifeanyi Ike, Supervising Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, made the threat in Abakaliki addressing newsmen on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
He said government had directed such banks currently withholding such funds to immediately “de-freeze the accounts and allow the council caretaker chairmen access to the accounts.
“This will enable the chairmen to offset salaries of council workers and meet up with other demands needed for effective running of the third tier of government.
“It is only courts of competent jurisdiction that have the right to order freezing of such accounts and not the state House of Assembly or any other body.
“Any local government staff (member), no matter his level in the service who disobeys this state government’s directive shall face stiff reprimand, including risking being sacked from work,” he said.
Ike decried the banks’ action and described it as detrimental to the smooth running of government affairs.
“Some of these banks, for instance, refused to accept the Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) of prospective allotters of the state’s ultra-modern International Market which would enable them to pay for allotted stalls.
“This was presumably due to the similar threat by the state House of Assembly to blacklist the banks for accepting the allotment funds, as the government has seriously reprimanded the banks which made them to apologise.
“They have, however, started accepting the numbers to facilitate payment of the stalls as banks are advised to concentrate on their professional duties and not meddle into politics,” he said.
He said that the state government was determined to allot completed stalls at the market to interested persons, as work would continue on the facility.
“The executive council directed that the drugs and meat section of the market should not be applied for, as they are not part of the creation of the market.
“The first list of over 300 successful allotters would be released on Thursday.
He said the governor extended the period for purchase of forms because the people had erased the fear of revocation by the in-coming government, from their minds,” he said.
He noted that the government had rescinded the automatic allotment of stalls at the market to traders at the Abakpa Main Market, in Abakaliki.
“This automatically means that the government was no longer enforcing the relocation of the Abakpa Main Market to the international market, as only the incoming government can take decision on such policy.
“Traders at the Abakpa main market who are interested in acquiring stalls at the international market should follow stipulated procedure for such acquisition.
But we reserved a lot of shops for them.
Ike decried the non-utilisation of the constituency allowances meant for the development of various constituencies in the state by the house members.
He urged the in-coming government to revisit the issues. NAN
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