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Extend Your Probe To Kwankwaso, APC Tells Kano Gov

Published

9 months ago

Apr 8, 2024.

Kano APC chairman urges broad investigation into past administrations beyond immediate predecessor Ganduje, dating back to 1999.
Allegations of mismanagement and fraudulent allocation of government assets during periods under scrutiny.
Criticism of probe panel composition and accusations of political bias in investigations, with calls for comprehensive scrutiny of local government administrations.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, has urged Governor Abba Yusuf not to restrict his investigation of past administrations solely to his immediate predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje. Instead, Abbas advocates for an inquiry dating back to 1999, when Nigeria returned to democracy.

In a personally signed statement, Abbas specifically calls for scrutiny of the periods from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015, during which his political mentor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, served as Kano State governor.

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The APC alleges that during these periods, approximately 70 per cent of government assets were either sold off or unfairly distributed to associates and family members.

Abbas’ plea to the Kano State government follows the recent establishment of two investigative panels by the state authorities to examine Ganduje’s administration, now the National Chairman of the APC.

Besides the probe panels, the state government also filed bribery charges against Ganduje, his wife, Hafsat, son, Umar, and others, accusing them of taking kick-backs to the tune of $413,000 and N1.38bn.

In his statement on Saturday, the Kano APC chairman said, “The judicial commission of inquiry set up by the state government to investigate the immediate past administration in the state ought to have started from 1999-2003 and 2011-2015 when 70 per cent of government properties were sold or fraudulently allocated to friends and families.

“Interestingly, the sharing of the state assets happened right under the nose of Abba Kabir Yusuf when he was the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport.

“From 2011-2015, the controversial five-kilometre road projects in the 44 local governments were awarded and only for the funds to be misappropriated without the project being executed.

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“During the same period under review, over N3bn was also earmarked for a particular project but misappropriated by Kwankwaso during his Presidential Campaign in Lagos when N70m was released by each local government.”

The Kano APC said besides Kwankwaso, the government should also probe the 44 local government council chairmen who served during Kwankwaso’s administration.

It also faulted the composition of the probe panels, saying they were made up of members of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party.

“This singular act clearly shows that the commission has been assigned with a duty of witch-hunt to politically victimise the subjects of investigation in the unwarranted assignment.

“Since 2019 when they were in the opposition, the people of Kano were very much aware of how elements of this government and its supporters have threatened the peace in the state. Even while in government, the violence perpetrated to celebrate its coming to power is still fresh in our minds.