Anti-Graft War: Kano Govt. Recovers Siphoned N5b, 436 Million

Anti-graft war: Kano Govt. recovers siphoned N5b, 436 million

By Hussaini Ibrahim Sulaiman

Kano State Government on Wednesday said that in its first six months of rein, it recovered N5 billion, 436 million as part of the state looted money from alleged corrupt offices of the previous administration in the state.

The State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf announced the development while addressing the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, who paid him a familiarization visit in Government House, Kano.

According to the governor, N4,000,000,000 was siphoned through the Kano State Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), while N436,000,000 was misled under the guise of procuring longer-lasting mosquito treatment nets.

He disclosed that another diverted funds worth N1, 000, 000, 000 was also recovered under the pretext of renovating 30 roads within the metropolitan areas, averring that all the cases are now before the courts.

Represented by his deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, argued that the ICPC management must know that his regime’s zero tolerance on corruption and related tendencies remain sacrosanct.

He said: “In ensuring the successful implementation of this government’s anti-corruption policies I prioritized a preventive approach without compromising the existing curative mechanism in the state’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC).

“In addition to validating Kano State’s Anti-Corruption Strategy aimed at blocking financial leakages, my administration abolished the fraudulent engagement of third parties in accessing and collecting the state’s internally Generated Revenue.”

This move, he said,  prevented billions of taxpayers’ money from seeping away into corruption.

The governor said that he spearheaded the recovery and general renovation of Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital, previously lost to corrupt elements purportedly sold at the giveaway price of six million naira.

He stressed that the hospital now stands as the second most patronized health institution after Murtala Muhammad Hospital, providing free round-the-clock health services and medication to the people of the state.

He, however, assured that their administration will not relent in collaborating with the agency, especially in the areas of strengthening the Kano Anti-corruption Commission and implementing other reforms and initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership, anti-corruption and transparency units (ACTUS) which is ICPC initiative all of which were demonstrated in Kano.

Earlier speaking, the chairman of the Kano Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission, Barr. Muhyi Magaji Rimin Gado noted that ICPC has been one of the partners of his commission.

He added that there’s a long-life relationship between them, recalling that most of his agency’s staff were trained by the ICPC.

On his part, the chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, said he was in Kano to harmonise a strategic collaboration with the state government and relevant institutions in fighting corruption based on the work of the office.

Dr. Aliyu added that state government is critical because you can’t fight the monster of corruption in the country without keeping them along, stressing that, he’ll lead an example by ensuring transparency and being open to every citizen of the country.