Former Accountant General,
Sokoto State, Aminu Abdullahi, has denied former Governor, Alh. Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa’s claims of leaving N13billion in the coffers of the state.
Abdullahi pointed out that Bafarawa failed to disclose the source of the money, as he challenged him to disclose how he came about the money.
He stressed that the claim by Bafarawa had been proven to be false and perceived as a fraudulent statement to deceive the people.
He stated,”Our attention has been drawn to a statement by former Governor of Sokoto state, Alh. Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa in which he again claimed to have left N13 billion in the coffers of the state when he left office in 2007.
“He made the statement at the so-called inauguration of a committee to disburse N1b relief to the people. Unfortunatly, he failed to disclose the source of the money. We challenge him to disclose how he came about the money. This claim coming 17 years after he left office is not only mischievous but a scheme to play with the intelligence of the people and to whip up sentiments for cheap political gains.
“Every reasonable person is aware that the claim by Bafarawa had been proven to be false and perceived as a fraudulent statement to deceive the people. The EFCC had followed the case and filed 147 count charge which included corruption, illegal sales of government shares, misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property and unauthorized payment committed between 2003 and 2007.
“Following the agency even confiscated some of his assets in 2010. Prior to that, the state government had even set up an investigative panel under the leadership of Alhaji Namadina Abdurrahman to find out where the said N13B was lodged. The result was that the money was nowhere to be found. His successor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko inherited, not N13b but a number of unfinished projects.
“He therefore worked assiduously to improve the lot of the people and left legacies which are still visible all over the state. It is there a surprise that Bafarawa chose to revisit the issue for reasons that smacked of ulterior motives and is definitely in bad faith.”
Abdullahi added”Let’s take a cursory look at the evidence from the banks as gathered then by the Namadina Abdulrahaman’s Committee which was also tendered by the EFFCC during prolonged trial. Looking at the facts below should give us an insight into the whole brouhaha: THE RECORDS:
- UBA LETTER OF 5/7/2007. REF UBA/SOK.2/CCBG/VOL 1/53, TENDERED TO EFCC,CONFIRMED THE BALANCE OF N254,539,427.40, IN THE CONSOLIDATED REVENUE ACCOUNT OF SOKOTO STATE GOVT. AS AT 29/5/2007. 2) BANK STATEMENT CARRIES CR BALANCE OF N254,539,427.40, AS AT 29TH,MAY,2007.
“NO TRACE OF N13B ANYWHERE AMONG CONTINGENT, SUBSIDIARY OR PRINCIPAL BANK ACCOUNTS HELD BY SOKOTO STATE GOVERNMENT AS AT 29/MAY/2007.
“ONLY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY FOUR MILLION NAIRA WAS DECLARED AS CREDIT BALANCE IN THE CONSOLIDATED REVENUE ACCOUNT OF SOKOTO STATE GOVERNMENT AS AT 29TH,MAY,2007. RECORD BY THE BANK.
“ACCOUNTANT GENERAL’S SOKOTO CURRENT ACCOUNT NUMBER 0290842291107(CRF) AS AT 29TH,MAY,2007 HAS CREDIT BALANCE OF N294,539,427.40K. i.e TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN NAIRA FOURTY KOBO ONLY. UNITED BANK OF AFRICA (UBA)
ACCOUNTANT GENERAL’S SOKOTO VAT ACCOUNT NUMBER 02929071201107, U.B.A HAS CREDIT BALANCE OF N7,328,567.37K i.e SEVEN MILLION THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN NAIRA THIRTY SEVEN KOBO ONLY, AS AT 29TH,MAY,2007.
“ALL DOCUMENTS CERTIFIED BY THE BANKS AND TENDERED TO EFCC ARE AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER Scrutiny. Governor Wamakko deliberately refused to operate any of 27 Bank Accounts inherited from the Bafarawa’s administration and ordered the closure of all the 27 accounts and never touched a kobo out of them as they have become subject of litigation.”
Abdullahi noted that the whole saga would have been put to rest had the litigation been allowed to go the full circle.
“We all know what happened and how the judgement by the State High Court came about to the chagrin of the EFCC and the public that yearned for the actual truth. The question still remains which account was that money put into. So long as this question is not answered, the doubt would continue to linger on,” he stated.
