news
update
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Babangida’s state stinks |
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By HENRY UMAHI
[umahi@sunnewsonline.come] Saturday,
June 27, 2009 |
Niger State, the self-acclaimed Power
State made history recently. It became
the first and only state that had three
speakers in one week. First, was Hon
Mohammed Alkali as speaker. Second, Hon
Idris Ndako took over. Third, Hon Umar
MarAli, who currently occupies the seat,
was selected.
However, while members of the camp of
the state governor, Alhaji Babangida
Aliyu and the opposition, believed to be
led by former governor, Abdulkadir Kure,
are celebrating their victory and
counting their loss, as the case may be,
what many may not know is that the root
of the matter is a struggle for
survival.
Saturday Sun gathered that the
occupation of the post of speaker in
Niger State has become an issue because
of a petition before the state House of
Assembly against the governor. The
petition made damning allegations
against the governor and demands that
the House investigates the matter and
take appropriate action.
Indeed, in the petition dated January
18, 209, Engineer Yahaya Mohmood
attached volumes of documentary exhibits
to prove his case. He pointedly stated
that the misuse of “state resources by
the Chief Servant, the governor of Niger
State, and some officials of his
government had reached an alarming state
and is already the source of concern to
our people,” adding: “Unless the House
acts swiftly, our state is in the
imminent danger of collapsing. I,
therefore, urge you to conduct full
scale investigation into the allegations
contained in the attached petition.”
Similarly, a group, Eagle Eye Coalition,
had petitioned the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on
what it called “ abuse of office and
looting of public treasury by the
government of Niger State through the
office of the Chief of Staff to the
governor and other cronies.” Dated
October 16, 2008, the petition was
signed by Musa Muhammadu.
Also, the Independent Corrupt Practices
and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
has been asked to look into the
financial books of Governor Aliyu and
some officials of his government. In a
petition, Sheik Ibrahim Yusuf said that
there is a “mass looting, abuse of
office and flagrant disregard to public
financial regulations” in the state. The
petition is dated November 4, 2008.
Indeed, documentary evidence attached to
the petition before the House is
revealing. The governor, for instance,
is alleged to have paid N500 million as
rent for an official lodge. A memo from
the office of the chief of staff to the
governor to Governor Aliyu on this,
which was dated January 18, 2008, reads:
“Sequel to our discussion on the
official residential accommodation of
your humble self, you are requested to
consider the release of N500m for the
payment of rent for two years at N250m
per fiscal year.”
The governor gave approval to this
request the same day. The question many
people in the state are asking is: What
type of accommodation costs a whopping
N250 million per year in Minna, Niger
State?
Expenses made on security and other
government activities also raise some
eyebrows. In July 2008, for example, the
total some of 400 million was requested
and disbursed in eight days. Indeed, on
July 2, a letter from the office of the
chief of staff to the governor,
requested the approval for the release
of N100 million for “Government House
activities and general security.” The
memo to that effect read: “Mr. Governor,
sir, kindly consider and approve the
release of N100m for Government House
activities and general security matter.
Above is submitted for your kind
approval.”
The governor approved the request the
same day and the memo was sent to the
commissioner for local government and
chieftaincy affairs, who was asked to
release N50 million of the sum, while
the Ministry of Finance would release
N50 million.
Five days after that, precisely on July
7, 2008, another letter from the office
of the chief of staff requested the
release of N100 million for Government
House activities and general security
matters. His letter read: “Mr. Governor,
sir, kindly consider and approve the
release of N100m for Government House
activities and general security matters.
Above is submitted for your kind
approval.”
Governor Aliyu gave approval for the
release of the money. The memo was sent
to the permanent secretary, Ministry of
Local Government with a note: “The HCF (honourable
commissioner of finance) is on his way
for a meeting in Abuja, as such he has
directed that the copy of this approval
is sent to you for your portion to be
paid, that is 50 per cent of the
approved amount.”
Another request for the release of N100
million was made on July 10, 2008, vide
a memo to that effect. The memo also
reads: “Mr. Governor, sir, kindly
consider and approve the release of
N100m for Government House activities
and general security matters. Above is
submitted for your kind approval.” This
was also approved and released.
In August 2008, the sum of N400 million
was requested and released within a
space of 19 days for Government House
activities and general security matters.
The letter from the office of the chief
of staff reads: “Chief Servant, sir,
kindly consider and approve the release
of N200m for Government House activities
and general security matters. Above is
submitted for your kind approval.” The
letter got the governor’s approval.
On August 27, 2008, another request of
N400 million was made and approval given
by the governor. Fifty per cent of the
money was paid with cheque no. 03817890
of August 28, 2008.
It is not only in the area of security
and Government House activities that
huge sums of money was spent. Also, N150
million was spent in one fell swoop for
food items for selected government
officials, political appointees and
others in August 2008. In fact, on
August 26, 2008, the office of the chief
of staff made a request for N150 million
to this effect. The letter to the
governor on this read: “Mr. Governor,
sir, it has been the tradition of
government to distribute food items to
Government House staff, political
appointees, elder statesmen, religious
organizations and some less privileged
people in the state for the Ramadan
fasting, which is fast approaching.
“In the light of the above, the Chief
Servant is requested to kindly consider
and approve the release of the following
sum of money for purchase of the food
items listed:
“(a) Members of the state assembly (N30
million); (b) The judiciary (N20
million); (c) Honourable commissioners
(N19 million); (d) SSG/HOS/COS (N3
million); (e) 15 special advisers at
N500,000 each (N7.5m); (f) 26 directors
general at N250, 00 x 26 (N6.5m); (g) 82
senior special assistants at N150,000
(N12.3m); (h) 164 special assistants at
N100,000 each (N16.4m); (i) 68 personal
assistants at N50, 000 (N3.4m); (j)
Emirs (N15m); (k) Imams (N5m); (l)
Government House (N2m); (m) Others
(presidential suite, police kitchen,
main lodge) (N10m).
“Prayers: Mr. Governor is requested to
kindly approve the release of N150, 000,
000 for the purpose as specified above.”
Governor Aliyu gave approval the next
day, August 28, 2008. The sum of N75
million of the amount was released the
same day the governor approved with the
cheque no 03017889.
The state government also spent huge
sums of money on the election petitions
cases going on in the state. Ordinarily,
each individual politician, whose
election is either being challenged or
who is challenging the election of
another politician is supposed to bear
the cost of litigation. However, in
Niger, lawyers handling these cases are
paid from government’s coffers.
A letter from the office of the attorney
general of the state and commissioner
for justice, dated May 23, 2008, to the
chief of staff asked for the release of
N320 million for payment of lawyers and
other sundry expenses. The letter,
reads: “The chief servant has approved
the following memos and directed they be
implemented through your office
according: “(1) 21/5/08: Fees for the
engaged solicitors to handle local
government election petition tribunal
(N100m); (2): 21/5/08: Additional
funding to judicial commission of
inquiry (N100m); (3) 4/2/08: Outstanding
approval for judicial commission of
inquiry (N10m); (4) 24/4/08: Payment for
engaged (SAN) in respect of Usman A,
Usman (Eraise case) pending at High
Court (N20m); (5) 21/5/08: Unpaid N10
million for an official jeep vehicle for
chief judge (N10m) and (6) 21/5/08:
Support to judicial officers of Niger
State origin serving at federal level
(N80m).”
An earlier letter to the governor asking
for approval and release of N100 million
for the engagement of lawyers to handle
election petitions involving local
government elections in May 2008 read:
“The chief servant may recall that the
local government election petitions
tribunals in Niger State were
inaugurated on Thursday, 10th April 2008
by the state chief judge.
“At the close of time for filling
election petitions we received total of
about 40 election petitions across the
state against the elected chairmen and
councillors from various local
government areas.
“With the experience gathered from
handling of current governorship and
legislative houses elections and to
ensure proper coordination of the cases,
a legal team of about 30 lawyers from
both private and public bar to handle
the petitions was constituted with
Messrs Summit Chambers as its
secretariat.
“The legal team has since commenced
action by filling memorandum of
appearance and are currently preparing
statements of defence and witnesses
statement on oath to be filed.
“The solicitors, through the lead
counsel headed by Summit Chambers, has
asked for N200 million as their fees as
usual which includes logistics,
complexities of matter and other
operational cost implication.
“The solicitor, however, will appreciate
if 50 per cent of N200 million is
approved and released for their
immediate action.
“The chief servant is, therefore,
requested to consider paragraph 5 and 6
above and approve N100 million being the
50 per cent of the total fees asked for
and to direct the Ministry of Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Chief of Staff and Justice to
implement.”
Governor Aliyu approved this request on
May 21, 2008 with the minute: “Para 7
above is approved for immediate
implementation.”
The Eagle Eye Coalition, alarmed by some
of these expenditures, had said, in its
petition: “The serial nature of the
approval and the acceleratd payment
process of such funds give more room for
suspicion than the purpose it was
expected to serve.”
The group contended: “It is, indeed,
difficult and hard to comprehend why all
these expenses were done without proper
and detailed explanation. One pertinent
and fundamental issue that deserves
investigation is to find out whether all
these expenditures have been
appropriated in the Niger State budget
of 2008 as no governor, under section
124 of the 1999 constitution, can spend
a kobo without the approval of the state
House of Assembly. How much can a
governor approve without recourse to the
state executive council?”
Still talking about expenses, documents
showed that the state once spent N55
million to stage a rally to mark the
first anniversary and Democracy Day in
Niger State. Indeed, the earlier request
was N177 million, which was cut down to
N55 million.
A letter from the office of the chief of
staff requesting the release of the
funds and dated May 18, 2008 stated:
“The chief servant, sir, further to your
directive, the anniversary committee has
met several times to brainstorm on
submissions for events to mark the
Democracy Day and first anniversary
celebrations of the present
administration in Niger State. The
programme of events and budget are at
back cover of file for your
consideration and approval, please.
“From a whopping submission of N176,
938,663. 00 by the subcommittee, the
Harmonization Committee has scaled down
the budget for the whole event to
N55,062, 050. 00. The chief servant is
requested to consider the programme of
events and the proposed budget and
direct appropriately please.”
Governor Aliyu approved the request on
May 20, 2008. Out of the N55 million,
the Ministry of Local Government was
asked to release N27, 531, 025, while
the Ministry of Finance released the
rest. In fact, a note on the letter, to
the commissioner in charge of local
government, reads: “Please, you are to
release N27,531,025.00 while MOF
(Ministry of Finance) will release the
balance.
Niger State also spent N300 million, in
2007, to finance the activities of a
judicial commission of inquiry, which
sat for about seven months. A memo on
this from the office of the commissioner
for justice stated: “The judicial
commission of inquiry was inaugurated by
the Chief Servant on 7th December with
the take-off grant of N100 million. On
4th February, 2008, the Chief Servant
approved additional fund of N100 million
to sustain its function hoping that it
will wind up by 3rd May, 2007, having
sat for four months. However, the chief
servant extended their sitting period by
three months from 21st April, 2008.
“The Chief Servant is, therefore,
requested to consider paragraph 3 and 4
and approve N100 million to cover the
extended period of three months…” The
governor approved the letter on May 21,
2008.
Apart from huge expenditures, as stated
above, there is a pattern in Niger
State, where local government areas
partly finance state government
activities. It was gathered that in most
of the spending 50 per cent usually
comes from local government accounts.
This is why the Mohmood, in his petition
to the House, stated: “Another areas
where local government money was
committed in financing elitist state
activities uncovered was on 21st May,
2008 and 20th June, 2008 where
N55million and N11million were used to
finance first anniversary of the chief
servant and celebrate his victory at the
lower state election tribunal
respectively,” adding: “It is also
discovered that the Chief Servant has
made it a common practice to use local
government funds to prosecute his
presidential ambition through lectures
and seminars across the country. On 8th
July, 2008, N79, 859,114 was used to
finance similar adventure, 50 per cent
was local government money.”
Indeed, Saturday Sun discovered from
most of the notes made on request for
the release of funds that the Ministry
of Local Government and Chieftaincy
Affairs are always asked to provide 50
per cent of expenses while the Ministry
of Finance provides the balance.
Meanwhile, it appears that the debt
profile of the state is increasing. For
one, in 2008, the state obtained a N6
billion bond to finance infrastructure
development. A letter on the bond from
the office of the commissioner for
finance to the minister of finance,
dated December 12, 2008, stated: “The
Niger State government of Nigeria is the
beneficiary of a bond amount of
N6,000,000, 000. 00 (six billion naira
only) being arranged by Zenith Bank
Limited for the purpose of
infrastructure development in Niger
State.
“The Niger State government hereby gives
to the Federal Ministry of Finance an
irrevocable standing payment order (ISPO)
to deduct from the state’s statutory
allocation the principal sum and
interest (coupon) as per the attached
schedule and pay same to the account of
Zenith Trust Company Ltd/Niger State
Infrastructure Development Bond account
No 6013808602.”
The payment of this loan is expected to
terminate on December 31, 1013. Payment
schedule is as follows: Monthly
deduction is N142, 377, 502. 73, for a
tenor of 60 months or five years. The
interest on the loan is 14 per cent.
Payment for the bond commenced on
January 31, 2009. By the schedule, Niger
State would have, by now, paid N854
million.
The state government has also taken
other loans. A computation of some of
the loans by the government, in May
2008, indicates: N1. 1 billion loan for
General M. I. Wushishi Housing Estate,
which commenced on April 2008. The loan
is from Zenith Bank Plc. There is also a
N5.1 billion being SNWCOU Group
multi-purpose loan for hospitals, rural
electrification and pipe-borne water.
The loan commenced in April 2008. Also,
the state borrowed N340 million for the
purchase of a transformer. It commenced
in April 2008.
Other loans include N600 million
facility for the Ministry of
Information, from Inland Bank; N1.2
billion facility for NSTA lease finance
from Equity Bank Plc; N530 million
facility for Minna New market, from
Unity Bank, among others.
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