By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
A committee set up by the Abubakar APC led administration in Bauchi State to carry out forensic audit of all major contract awarded by the immediate past administration in the state between June 2007 to May 2015 has asked former Governor Isa Yuguda to account for over N212 billion said to have been expended by his administration within the period under review.
The committee which has worked for nine months in probing government ministries, departments and agencies including the State Universal Basic Education Board and Bauchi Specialists Hospital and other agencies penciled down for the probe submitted its report to the government.
Presenting the committee’s report to Governor Mohammed Abubakar, its Chairman, Alhaji Salihu Lukman Abubakar, said most of the major contracts awarded by the past administration in all the MDAs investigated were either not completed while payments have been made, not executed at all, over-inflated, poorly executed or due process not followed in the award while in others, contractors were overpaid without any acceptable reason or explanation.
He lamented that the amount of money claimed to have been expended by the past administration in executing projects did not tally with the records of amount that accrued to the state from June 2007 to May 2015 from the Federation Accounts as contained in documents obtained from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, which calls for explanations on the whereabouts of over a hundred million naira.
Lukman explained that from the Local Governments’ contributions to the Office of the Accountant General in respect of Joint Projects, Yuguda, former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, former Special Advisers, former Permanent Secretaries and former Accountants General or their representatives as signatories to the JAAC accounts are to account for N16 billion.
On unjustified cash withdrawals made from the accounts of the Ministry for Local Government Affairs by a cashier to the JAAC account, Mohammed Musa, the Committee recommended that former Commissioners in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Idris Halilu and Abubakar Ahmed Faggo, retired Permanent Secretaries, Ado Santurakin Pali and Hudu Yunusa Ari are to account for N3.5 billion.
Others joined for the repayment to the same JAAC account are Special Advisers, in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, former Accountants General, or their representatives being co-natories accounts, as well as the Director, Finance and Administration (DAF), Aliyu Mohammed are to account for the amount..
The Committee has within the period under review also discovered huge payments made in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs without appropriate payments vouchers presented to it and consequently recommended that all former Commissioners with the past government be asked to account for N96 billion.
According to the report, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Internal Auditors, Cahiers, Directors of Finance in the Ministry and visiting Auditors to the Ministry be made to account for N8 billion.
The committee similarly wants N88.2 billion being amount illegally remitted from the Ministry of Local Government Affairs from its Federation Account Allocations to various MDAS from June 2007 to May 2015 be recovered from former Governor Isa Yuguda, former Commissioners for Local Government Affairs, Permanent Secretaries and former Special Advisers in the Ministry, as well as former Accountants General or their representatives.
The Lukman-led committee further recommended that over N1.4 billion is to be recovered from Triacta, JBI Consult, Sino Rich Fields, A. D. Team Consultant and China Zhongao either for poor execution or over inflation of contracts for the construction of Bauchi International Airport, Consultancy services for Bauchi International Airport, construction of Alkaleri-Futuk road, consultancy service for Alkaleri-Futuk road and design and construction of Ningi-Burra road.
In the Ministry of Health, Committee recommended that N1.55 billion be recovered from Current Mechanical Eng., Accrom Services, Sahnazal International, Eagle Construction, Louizoni Ferreti Enterprises, and Yima Nigeria Limited for contracts in respect of construction of Bauchi Specialist Hospital, supply, delivery and installation of hospital equipment..
The amount also covers construction of General Hospital, Toro, renovation and upgrading General Hospital Ningi, supply, delivery, testing and installation of standard incinerators and renovation and upgrading of structures at General Hospital Misau.
The sum of N376 billion, according to the Committee, is to be recovered from Current Mechanical Engineering, Associated Real Estate Development, Golden Construction Limited, Maijama’a International Limited, QED Building Limited, Galaje Company, Panshanu Nigeria Limited, Nanne & Boi Nigeria, Maiborno Nigeria Limited, Adambafu Nigeria Limited, Dajosevaze Enterprises and Apple House for contracts for either construction, renovation or supplies to GTC Gumau, Saadu Zungur Primary School, GGAC Alkaleri, GGSS Liman Katagum, GGSS Boto, GGSS Yuguda, GDSS Tilden Fulani as well as supply of mattresses and JAMB past question papers.
Under Security Vote Expenditure in the office of Secretary to the Government of Bauchi State within the period under review, the Committee recommended N4 billion be recovered from former Governor Isa Yuguda while N22 million is to be recovered from Bahijja Mahmoud and Aisha Mahmoud for construction, through direct labour, of Bauchi Skills Acquisition Centre under the Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children.
The Committee similarly recommended that N6.6 billion be recovered from former Governor Yuguda, his former Commissioners of Finance and the two Accountants General for unaccounted State Government’s statutory revenues and another N881.5 million from bank loans, while N24 million is to be recovered from Bappa Azare for N10 billion loan from FIN Bank, now FCMB.
The Committee also said another N7.8 billion is to be recovered from Isa Yuguda, Aminu Hammayo, Mahmoud Maijama’a and Adamu Gokaru from the disbursement and utilization of N15 billion bond, while N6.2 billion is to be recovered from Bappa Azare for untraced transfer from FCMB (former FIN Bank) to Access Bank.
N1.9 billion is similarly expected to be recovered from former Governor Isa Yuguda, Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija, Accountant General of the time and Abdu Illelah from mismanaged ecological funds and another N766 million is recommended to be recovered from Isa Yuguda, Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija and Adamu Gokaru from diversion of N1.5 billion CBN microfinance loan.
On Local Governments’ contributions to the Office of the Accountant General of the State in respect of Joint Projects, Committee recommended that N16 billion be recovered from former Governor Yuguda, former Commissioners in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, former Accountants General, former Permanent Secretaries in the ministry, while another N2.7 billion is to be recovered from former Governor Yuguda, Bappa Azare, Adamu Gokaru and Mahmoud Abdulkadir from reimbursement of N3.7 billion by the Federal Government during the period under review.
The Committee also recommended that N1.5 billion be recovered from former Governor Yuguda, while all former Commissioners of Finance, all former Commissioners in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs and all former Special Advisers be asked to account for N4.5 billion statutory revenue for the 20 LGAs in the State.
The Committee also wants former Governor Isa Yuguda, all former Commissioners and all former Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs and all former Special Advisers as well as the Accountants General or their representatives be asked to account for N1.4 Bank Loans and Overdrafts obtained under the Ministry.
The Committee recommended N3.445 billion be recovered from former Commissioners in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Idris Halilu, Ahmed Faggo, retired Permanent Secretaries, Ado Santurakin Pali and Hudu Yunusa Ari, Special Advisers in the Ministry and Accountants General or their representatives for various cash withdrawals by Aliyu Musa, Cashier, JAAC Account.
It further recommended that N4.6 billion SURE-P funds be recovered from Isa Yuguda, Abubakar Ahmed Faggo, Talatu Barwa, Abdullahi Musa Gwaram, Hudu Yunusa Ari, Y. Y. Abdullahi and Accountants General or their representatives, while another N177.8 billion is to be recovered from Isa Yuguda, all former Commissioners, all Special Advisers and Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs and Accountants General or their representatives for remittances from Ministry for Local Government Affairs from its Federation Allocation Committee to various MDAs from June 2007 to May 2015.
Receiving the report, Governor Mohammed Abubakar commended the Committee for a job well done and assured that justice will be done to the report, warning public officers that his administration is a product of change and reiterated his administration’s commitment to zero tolerance to corruption.
The Governor then announced the constitution of a White Paper Committee under the Chairmanship of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Ibrahim Umar.