Alhaji Rabiu
Garba, the state Commissioner of Finance, announced that the state is looking
for N37billion while addressing journalists in Gusau on Tuesday.
The Zamfara Government said it is tracking the whereabouts of over N37 billion refunds on Federal Government projects executed by the state and has sought the help of security agencies.
Garba alleged
that former governor Abdulaziz Yari’s administration might have misappropriated
the money.
The
commissioner said the amount was initially quoted at over N47 billion as the
funds used by the former administration in the reconstruction and rehabilitation
of 14 federal roads in the state.
“We
understood that the cost of the verified projects at the Federal Ministry of
Works stood at over N37 billion.
“But when we
asked for refunds of the said amount, it was confirmed by both the Federal
Ministry of Works and the Debt Management Office that the amount had been paid
fully.
“On further
investigation, we gathered that the money was collected by the Director-General
of Nigerian Governors’ Forum and one lady who also worked in the same place on
instructions from former Zamfara government.
“We wonder
how people who are not indigenes of the state nor have they ever worked for the
state should collect such a colossal amount on behalf of the government and
people of Zamfara,’’ the commissioner said.
He assured
that the present administration under Gov. Bello Matawalle will do everything
possible to recover the money “so that we can use it in the development of the
state’’.
But reacting
in an interview with the News agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, the former
Commissioner of Finance in the Yari led government, Alhaji Muktar Idris
exonerated the administration from any wrongdoing.
Idris said
that the immediate past administration constructed the roads at the cost of
over N60 billion and claimed the same amount from the Federal Government.
“But a
federal government verification committee only approved N37.4 billion refunds
which was on completed projects.
“Due to
dearth of funds to repay such projects to about 23 states, which stood at over
N500 billion, it was agreed at the governors’ forum that the states would
collect the refunds in two tranches via promissory notes that would mature in
three years.
“The states were to receive 40 per cent in the first instalment, in which Zamfara’s due amount stood at N14.9 billion.
“All the
affected state governors also agreed that the director-general of the
Governors’ Forum should collect for them.
“I still have
the documents with me where we put over N10 billion as discounted from N14.9
billion into our joint account because we needed the money.
“So, we
discounted and collected the amount through the Debt Management Office, Idris
told NAN.
He explained
further that the second promissory note was for N22 billion which was also
discounted to a little over N17 billion.
“All the
money had been deposited into the state government’s accounts.
“Zamfara
people are free to check and verify these facts,’’ he said.
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