A nongovernmental organisation, the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPS), has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to reopen the corruption cases already established against a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari.
The Chairman of PAPS, Dr. Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, made the call in a statement he issued in Abuja on Saturday.
Shinkafi said the series of corruption cases established against Yari were mind-blowing and should not be swept under the carpet because he is one of the aspirants for the position of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.
The group alleged that funds allegedly misappropriated by the former governor who has been elected into the 10th Senate, amounted to about N288.4bn which belonged to Zamfara State.
PAPS further alleged that Yari, who is also aspiring to be Senate President, left Zamfara State with huge indebtedness.
The statement read, “The order of a Federal High Court Abuja, which had ordered the final forfeiture of various amounts estimated at about N700million linked to Yari has vindicated our group’s calls for the arrest and prosecution of the former Governor.
“The ICPC had claimed that the funds were kept in accounts in two new generation banks by Yari, using his two companies – Kayatawa Nigeria Limited and B.T. Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.”
Shinkafi further accused the former governor of “wanton looting and misappropriation” of the state’s resources.
Giving a breakdown of how the alleged fraud was perpetrated, Shinkafi said the Abdulazi Yari-led administration left liabilities from ongoing projects to the tune of N151,190,477,572.02.
He listed the breakdown to include, “Unremitted national housing fund deductions from salaries between 2016 and 2019 stands at N1,431,645,305,99.”
He said, “The liabilities under the ministry of education which involves external examinations and institutions, Crescent University Abeokuta, Al-Hikma University Ilorin and Key Science Academy Abuja stands at N2.812.172.155.
“The Committee further discovered that out of the two billion naira approved by the Yari administration for the payment of backlog of gratuity owed to retired workers in the state, only retired permanent secretaries were paid which is to the tune of only N400,000.00, a whopping sum of one billion six hundred million is unaccounted for.
“We call on the EFCC and the ICPC to investigate, prosecute and convict former Governor of Zamfara State Abdulaziz Yari over the misappropriation, diversion, siphoning and financial recklessness of N251billion as alleged by the Transition Committee Chairman headed by the immediate past Deputy Governor of the Zamfara State, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala.”
Similarly, Shinkafi appealed to the anti-graft agencies to invite the immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Abdulahi Shinkafi, to explain his claim that the Zamfara State government under Yari spent the sum of N35 billion on procurement of security equipment as well as relief materials for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state.
He said, “We demand that the Commissions invite the former SSG to come and substantiate the claim that the State Government spent N35 Billion on the purchase of relief materials.
“This investigation has become expedient following the claims by former Governor Abdulaziz Yari that his administration left no debts or liabilities for the new administration under Bello Mattawelle.
“It is on record that in all the 14 local government areas in Zamfara State which were attacked by bandits, there is no single IDP camp established by the State Government not to talk of the purchase of relief materials for the camps.
“We therefore demand that the Commissions should investigate all the contracts documents, books of account, cash books, banks statements in the commercial banks, loans and advances, local and international loans, incomes and expenditures.
“The anti-graft agencies should also probe all monies received from Federal Allocation Accounts Committee (FAAC) and Local government joint accounts, UBEC, SDG, Federal Feeding funds, VAT, Ecological and Stabilisation funds.
“They should also investigate the two trenches of bailout funds, two trenches of Paris and London clubs refund funds, Tetfunds, Excess crude oil funds, contracts awarded for the past eight years of the A.A Yari administration .MSME funds, Rice Anchor borrowers credit schemes funds, among others.”
He also listed the N37.4 billion promissory notes discounted at 22 billion before the maturity, the N55billion China Zhangahou drilling of water borehole at 328million per unit, N22 billion Naira Rural Electrification projects.
Others are the fictitious supply of fertiliser, Vehicles Charcoal, Books, Minerals exploration, the mass housing project worth billions awarded but not executed.
“We demand that the Commissions invite the former SSG to come and substantiate the claim that the State Government spent N35 Billion on the purchase of relief materials.
“This investigation has become expedient following the claims by former Governor Abdulaziz Yari that his administration left no debts or liabilities for Governor Bello Mattawelle,” he added.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
