Alleged Funds Diversion:CSO Petitions Kano House Of Assembly, Demands Probe Of Ex-Kano Deputy Governor
By Abdullahi Yusuf
A Kano-based Non Governmental Organization(NGO), One Kano Agenda (OKA),has filed a petition before the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly requesting the legislature to investigate alleged diversion of N308 million Naira by a former Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.
This is contained in a statement signed and circulated to newsmen by the OKA Publicity Secretary,Munnir Ibrahim.
The NGO in the petition signed by its Director General, Ambassador Abbas Abdullahi Yakasai, said the petition was based on a revelation by the Special Adviser to Kano State Governor, on Tsangaya Education, Sheikh Musa Falaki, who alleged that the former Deputy Governor diverted over N300 million released to clerics for prayer, covering a period of seven months.
“We write on behalf of One Kano Agenda to respectfully draw the attention of the Kano State House of Assembly to a serious allegation currently circulating in the public domain concerning the alleged diversion of public funds earmarked for special prayer programmes across the forty-four (44) Local Government Areas of Kano State.
“According to a statement credited to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tsangaya Education, Sheikh Musa Falaki, it has been alleged that each of the forty-four local government councils in Kano State contributed the sum of ₦44 million monthly over a period of seven months for the purpose of conducting special prayer sessions across the state.
“It was further alleged that the programme was to be coordinated by Sheikh Musa Falaki and Sheikh Ibrahim Sheshi Maihula.
“However, the clerics reportedly stated that they neither received any funds connected to the exercise nor conducted the prayer programmes for which the monies were allegedly approved and released,” the group said.
The allegations further suggest that a total sum of ₦308 million may have been disbursed for the exercise without the knowledge or participation of the individuals in whose names the programme was reportedly organized.
“Furthermore, it has been alleged that the matter forms part of a wider investigation into the management of local government funds and that additional sums running into hundreds of millions of naira may be involved.
“These allegations have generated widespread public concern and have raised serious questions regarding accountability, transparency, and the management of public resources.
“As representatives of the people and custodians of democratic oversight, we believe that the Kano State House of Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to investigate matters of significant public interest, especially where allegations of financial misconduct involving public funds are concerned,” OKA said.
The group, therefore, requested the assembly to Institute a thorough and independent legislative investigation into the allegations concerning the alleged diversion of funds meant for the special prayer programme across the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State.
It also demanded that all relevant parties, including the former Deputy Governor, Alhaji Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, officials of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Sheikh Musa Falaki, Sheikh Ibrahim Sheshi Maihula, and representatives of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, be invited to provide clarification on the matter.
OKA then asked the legislature to establish the actual amount of public funds involved and determine whether due process was followed in the approval, disbursement, and utilization of the funds.
“Recommend appropriate legal, administrative, or legislative actions where evidence of wrongdoing is established.
an ensure that any public funds found to have been misappropriated are recovered in accordance with the law,” the NGO further requested.
According to OKA, the petition was not intended to prejudge any individual or institution,”rather, it is a call for transparency, accountability, and due process in order to protect the integrity of public institutions and sustain public confidence in governance.”