The state Projects Verification Committee, which was set up by incumbent Zamfara Governor, Bello Matawalle, to among others, investigate state of contracts from 2011 to 2019, uncovered that over 1500 vehicles were bought at a total cost of N8 billion
While presenting an interim report to the state government, the committee chaired by Alhaji Ahmad Abubakar Gusau, said the purchased vehicles represents 66% of the vehicles bought between 2011 to 2019, which have not been accounted for.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Gusau explained that the vehicles were procured through the office of the then Secretary to the State Government (SSG) without any accounting officer because only the SSG and the former governor were awarding contracts.
“In the course of our duty we were shocked to identify a disconnect between the SSG and the office of the Head of Service. The SSG office was only romancing with office of the Executive Governor and billions of tax payers money were recklessly spent by the two mighty offices,” Daily Trust quoted Gusau as saying.
On school feeding program in the state, the committee reports that the number of the students being fed were over- inflated, thereby allowing fraudulent officials to illegally siphon N7 billion every year.
“For instance, we were at the Government Senior Secondary School, Dansadau where we were told that 700 students were being fed in that boarding school every day, but we were shocked to find out that the very day we visited the school only 50 students were available to collect their food,” the report read.
The committee further stated that in the course of borehole construction in the state, two companies were overpaid with N63 million.
The committee however recommended that a total of N9.7 billion be returned to the state government and those involved in siphoning the state funds be brought to justice.
Responding to the recommendation, the incumbent Zamfara governor promised to take action.
