Zamfara alleges that N37 billion was misappropriated by Yari administration

Zamfara State’s Commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Rabiu Garba, says that the state government has alerted security agencies to track the whereabouts of over N37 billion refunds on Federal Government projects executed by the state.

While addressing journalists in Gusau on Tuesday, Garba alleged that the previous Yari-led administration might have misappropriated the money.

He said that the money was initially quoted at over N47 billion as funds used by the former administration in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 14 federal roads in the state.

“We understood that the cost of the verified projects at the Federal Ministry of Works stood at over N37 billion. But when we asked for refunds of the said amount, it was confirmed by both the Federal Ministry of Works and the Debt Management Office that the amount had been paid fully.

“On further investigation, we gathered that the money was collected by the Director-General of Nigerian Governors’ Forum and one lady who also worked in the same place on instructions from former Zamfara government.

“We wonder how people who are not indigenes of the state nor have they ever worked for the state should collect such a colossal amount on behalf of the government and people of Zamfara,’’ the commissioner said.

Garba then assured that the Matawalle-led administration will try to recover the money in order to develop the state.

Refuting the veiled charge, former Commissioner of Finance in the Yari-led government, Alhaji Muktar Idris, said that the immediate past administration constructed the roads at the cost of over N60 billion and claimed the same amount from the Federal Government.

Explaining that there was no discrepancy nor misappropriation, Idris said that the federal government verification committee only approved N37.4 billion refunds on completed projects.

“Due to dearth of funds to repay such projects to about 23 states, which stood at over N500 billion, it was agreed at the governors’ forum that the states would collect the refunds in two tranches via promissory notes that would mature in three years.

“The states were to receive 40 percent in the first installment, in which Zamfara’s due amount stood at N14.9 billion.

“All the affected state governors also agreed that the Director-General of the Governors’ Forum should collect for them.

“I still have the documents with me where we put over N10 billion as discounted from N14.9 billion into our joint account because we needed the money.

“So, we discounted and collected the amount through the Debt Management Office. All the money had been deposited into the state government’s accounts.

Confident that there was nothing to hide, he urged, “Zamfara people are free to check and verify these facts,” Idris said.