NASARAWA State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has inaugurated a committee to investigate why local government councils in the state are unable to pay workers’ salaries at the third-tier of governance.

The governor inaugurated the six-member committee at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs in Lafia.

While noting that the councils, being the third-tier of governance, were charged with the responsibility of ensuring development at the grass roots, the governor, however, said the situation had not been the same despite the fact that the councils enjoyed relative financial autonomy.

Sule cited accumulated pension arrears, percentage payment and backlog of gratuities, among others, as evidence of failure on the part of the councils in the discharge of their constitutional responsibility, with the situation causing despair and despondency among LG workers.

Sule said his administration had mandated the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Auditor-General for Local Government and Local Government Service Commission, to probe the situation.