The assembly said N20m of the amount was reportedly siphoned from the Nigerian Union of Teachers Cooperative account while the balance of N3m was illegally taken from an undisclosed source. The House arrived at the decision following the report by the committee on local government. The lawmakers also directed the executive arm of government to probe the finances of the Katcha Local Government Area, especially the period the indicted chairman was in office. The legislators also asked the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to immediately refund N16.6m it withdrew from the account of the NUT in Paikoro Local Government Area. Furthermore, the House resolved to review the 2001 State and Local Government Joint Account Committee with a view to strengthening its operations. The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, said the decisions reached at plenary would check corrupt tendencies by some local government chairmen. Marafa said the assembly would soon institute a merit award for best performing local governments in the state. The award, which he said would have financial rewards, would make local government chairmen to sit up.]]>