Exposed: How Earth Moving Equipment Worth Billions of Naira Procured by Former Governor of Nasarawa State Disappeared From Works Ministry -Investigation

El Yakuq Ibraheem

An investigation by Universal Reporters can authoritatively reveal that over 17 earth moving equipment ranging from Caterpillar, Pay-loader, Crane, ten tyres and twelve tyres trucks are conspicuously missing from the packing space of the Nasarawa state Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport.

Our Correspondent confirmed that the majority of the heavy-duty machines after embarking on a series of rural road projects in Wamba and other local governments went into oblivion.

A top management staff who pleaded anonymity opined that the ministry for works, housing and transport claimed to know the whereabouts of such vehicles. meant to build the rural road.

One of the appointees in the state who pleaded anonymity confirmed that those earth moving equipment purchased by the immediate past governor of the state, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura refurbished trucks procured from Julius Berger Nigeria Limited.

He explained that those machines were moved from the Ministry of Works to the ministry for Community and Rural Development, one of the then ministries saddled with the responsibility of taking care of rural communities before coming into being of the present Abdullahi Sule government.

While the staff of the then ministry also confirmed that the ministry carried out the auctioning of those earth-moving equipment because the cost of maintenance of those facilities is a serious impediment to the state government.

Saying before the broken down of that equipment, the money for the maintenance of those vehicles is a cost of worry, even with the money they are generating.

When asked who procured the equipment, he remains mute, feelers revealed that the former governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura who procured the equipment was said to be refurbished.

Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, did not respond to calls by our correspondent, the affected earth-moving equipment ranged from 911 tippers,12 tyres, a Komatsu grader, and a Crane which was exposed to the sunlight was the only state government property laying fallow under the sunlight.

It could be recalled the state government ac­quires more fire­fighting trucks under governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura reign, no fewer than 10 modern firefight­ing trucks were acquired by the Nasarawa State Fire Service.

The state commissioner for works, Engineer Idris Mohammed Idris when contacted remained mute, he did not make any policy state in regards to the missing state government properties.

A staff of the then Ministry for Community and Rural Development who spoke in confidence said all the vehicles almost all refurbished Berger fairly used were auctioned by the ministry but refused to mention the name of the commissioner then.

Today, Governor Abdullahi Sule established the Bureau for Rural Development which is suffering in dire need of earth-moving equipment to repair rural roads, spending huge amounts of money for the upgrading of rural communities.