Bauchi Probe Committee Indicts Former Governor Yuguda, Asks Him To Account For N213 Billion
The high-powered committee set up to carry out forensic audit of all major contracts awarded by the past administration from June 2007 to May 2015 in the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board, Ministries of Local Government Affairs, Bauchi Specialists Hospital and other MDAs has asked former Governor Isa Yuguda to account for over 212 billion naira said to have been expended by his administration within the period under review.
Presenting the committee’s report to Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar on Friday, the Chairman, Alhaji Salihu Lukman Abubakar, said most of the major contracts awarded by the past administration in all the MDAs investigated were either not competed while payments have been made, not executed at all, over-inflated, poorly executed or due process was not followed in the award while in others contractors were overpaid without any acceptable reason or explanation.
The Chairman 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 the Accountant General of the Federation, which calls for explanations on the whereabouts of over a hundred million naira.
He said from the Local Governments’ contributions to the Office of the Accountant General in respect of Joint Projects, former Governor Isa Yuguda, former Commissioners 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 16 billion naira.
On several unjustified cash withdrawals made from the accounts of the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, by Mohammed Musa, Cashier to JAAC Account, 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, Special Advisers, in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, former Accountants General, or their representatives being cosignatories to the JAAC accounts as well as the Director, Finance and Accounts, Aliyu Mohammed are to account for 3.5 billion naira.
Within the period under review, the Committee discovered huge payments made in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs without appropriate payments vouchers presented to the Committee and consequently recommended that all former Commissioners be asked to account for 96 billion naira, while Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Internal Auditors, Cahiers, Directors of Finance in the Ministry and visiting Auditors to the Ministry be made to account for 8 billion naira.
Similarly, wants 88.2 billion naira, 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 to be recovered from former Governor Isa Yuguda, all former Commissioners for Local Government Affairs, all Permanent Secretaries and all former Special Advisers in the Ministry, all former Accountants General or their representatives.
The Alhaji Salihu Lukman Abubakar Committee further recommended that over 1.4 billion naira is to be recovered from Triacta, JBI Consult, Sino Rich Fields, A. D. Team Consultant and China Zhongao either for poor execution or for 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, the Committee similarly recommended 1.55 billion naira 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 at the new Bauchi Specialist hospital, 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 376 billion naira, 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 4 billion naira be recovered from former Governor Isa Yuguda while 22 million naira 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 recommended 6.6 billion naira be recovered from former Governor Yuguda and all his former Commissioners of Finance and the two Accountants General for unaccounted State Government’s statutory revenues and another 881.5 million naira from bank loans, while 24 million naira is to be recovered from Bappa Azare for 10 billion naira loan from FIN Bank, now FCMB.
The Committee also said another 7.8 billion naira is to be recovered from Isa Yuguda, Aminu Hammayo, Mahmoud Maijama’a and Adamu Gokaru from the disbursement and utilization of 15 billion naira bond, while 6.2 billion naira is to be recovered from Bappa Azare for untraced transfer from FCMB (former FIN Bank) to Access Bank.
1.9 billion naira 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 766 million naira is recommended to be recovered from Isa Yuguda, Ahmed Ibrahim Dandija and Adamu Gokaru from diversion of 1.5 billion CBN microfinance loan.
On Local Governments’ contributions to the Office of the Accountant General of the State in respect of Joint Projects, the Committee recommended that 16 billion naira be recovered from former Governor Yuguda, former Commissioners in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs and all former Accountants General, former Permanent Secretaries in the ministry, while another 2.7 billion naira is to be recovered from former Governor Yuguda, Bappa Azare, Adamu Gokaru and Mahmoud Abdulkadir from reimbursement of 3.7 billion naira by the Federal Government during the period under review.
The Committee also recommended that 1.5 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 4.5 billion naira statutory revenue for the 20 LGAs in the State.
The Committee similarly 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 1.4 Bank Loans and Overdrafts obtained under the Ministry.
The Committee recommended 3.445 billion naira 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.
The Committee recommended 4.6 billion naira 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 177.8 billion naira 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.
Governor Abubakar warned public officers that his administration is a product of change and reiterated his administration’s commitment to zero tolerance to corruption’
He announced the constitution of a White Paper Committee under the Chairmanship of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Ibrahim Umar
