The Kano State Anti-Corruption and Public Complaints Commission has filed fresh charges against an ex-governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje bordering on corruption and misconduct.
Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Muhuyi Magaji, disclosed this in a Daily programme on Channels Television on Tuesday.
“What is happening now is a tip of the iceberg.
“As I am talking to you, we are investigating a case whereby N51.3bn local government funds were directly taking from the government coffers (and) sent to other individuals, and we traced it to people.” He said.
He alleged that the Ganduje government took N1bn earmarked for road renovations from the state treasury just a month before the end of his tenure in May 2023 but the money was sent to Bureau de Change operators instead.
“We have piled series of cases. We have a case whereby N1bn in April last year (2023) was removed from government coffers under the allocation of renovating 30 roads in the metropolis and it was taken away, sent to Bureau de Change.
“We have a case of N4bn whereby it was sent from the consolidated revenue account of Kano State to an agricultural company. All these cases are before the court,” Magaji said.
Additionally, the Kano anti-graft boss who was appointed by Ganduje, insisted that although the court ruled that money laundering was a federal offence, the commission has the right to conduct investigations for alleged corruption and misconduct by the Ganduje administration.
“Incidentally, His Excellency, the former governor was the one that appointed me in 2015 to to head the agency and I was re-appointed in 2020 for another five-year term. Basically, we have an institution in the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission that is devoid political activities and dedicated to fight corruption, check maladministration and fight injustice.
“That is the beauty of what we are doing. In Nigeria, we are not supposed to have those that will be shielded. Even, we that are in the anti-corruption agency, our integrity has been tested. And that is how it is supposed to be. Anybody that is charged before the court of law, let him go and answer.” He said.
However, the Kano State High Court would arraign Ganduje on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, on charges bordering on allegations of bribery, diversion, and misappropriation of funds.
Meanwhile, this new development prompted some APC executives in Ganduje’s ward in Kano to suspend him, insisting that he exonerates himself of all charges levelled against him.
In the same breath, the state executives of the party dismissed the suspension and sanctioned the ward officials involved.
saharandaily