Taraba Lawmaker Denies Interference In LG’s Affairs

The member of the Taraba State House of Assembly representing Bali I, Hon. Veronica Alhassan, has denied interfering in the affairs of the Bali local government council as alleged by some politicians from the area.

Alhassan was accused by members of Elite Group in the Bali local government area, led by their chairman, Samaila Umaru, of “Exhibiting an act of nepotism by illegally removing cashier of Bali local government council Mr. David Inishiya to replace him with her younger sister Mrs. Afiniki.

LEADERSHIP gathered that a younger sister to the lawmaker Mrs. Afiniki is a staff of the finance department of Bali local government council, the next in the hierarchy who is eligible to succeed Mr. David Dinishiya as cashier of the local should Dinishiya be removed as cashier.

Responding to the allegations on behalf of Alhassan, Mr. Eli Tumba and Emmanuel Bakari, who said they were the original chairman and secretary of the Elite Group Bali, respectively, described Samaila Umaru as a desperate person who is out not only to tarnish the name of the group but also to create falsehoods against the lawmaker Alhassan.

“In the fictitious baseless write-up, it was alleged, that Hon. Veronica Alhassan has exhibited a habit of Nepotism and illegal removal of the Cashier of Bali Local Govt. in person of Mr. David Dinishiya.

“We want to put it on record that Hon. Veronica Alhassan is a frank, factual, apt, trusted and humble politician with Godly characteristic, to say the least.

“For crying loud, she is a lawmaker in the Taraba State House of Assembly and not at all, a Council member of Bali Local Government. Her jurisdiction is in law-making and oversight functions.

“Thus, the purported claim of removing a Cashier does not arise as it is solely the responsibility of the Local Government Council. By coincidence, Mrs. Afiniki, the younger sister to Hon. Veronica Alhassan is a staff of the Finance Department of Bali.

“The next in that hierarchy, the axe falls on her. It is common sense that there is no vacuum in leadership.
If Dinishiya has erred, can he be removed?

“Also of note is the fact that Samaila Umaru is never the Chairman of the Elite group as claimed. Indeed, he was noticed to be working against the PDP in the just concluded governorship and House of Assembly election in Bali,” the group said.