The Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, has denied involvement in the mismanagement and outright stealing of funds meant for the subsidy of petroleum products.
Dankwambo, a former Accountant General of the Federation before he became governor, said he never used his office to manipulate figures.
The governor is one of those indicted by the report of the House of Representatives committee that probed the management of the fuel subsidy fund.
The committee, headed by Hon. Farouk Lawan, found that instead of the N240 billion budgeted for subsidy, over N2 trillion was spent, with most of it not properly accounted for.
But Dankwambo, speaking at the Government House in Gombe State, exonerated himself, saying he never committed any wrong.
He said this on Thursday during the signing the of the Gombe State Fiscal Responsibility Bill into law.
He said his indictment was the handiwork of disgruntled persons who are out to ridicule the state, adding: “I have never been involved in a fraud throughout my reign as Accountant General of the Federation.”
The report blamed the office of the AGF, during Dankwambo’s tenure, for authorising the payment of N999 million subsidy fund within 24 hours.
But the governor said: “The AGF only pays one line payment from the source, either the consolidated revenue account or the domestic excess crude for which is the source of the payment into that account to be monitored and to be paid by the PPRA.
“Don’t forget Dankwambo is now a politician, so there can be many factors that will be added to ridicule Gombe State’s name.
“But be clear in your mind that Dankwambo had never committed and will never be involved in a fraud.”