Kano State Anti-Corruption and Public Complaints Commission has announced it is filing fresh charges against the former governor, Abdulahi Ganduje. The Commission is alleging a slew of corruption against the ex-governor during his tenure, 2015-2023.
Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Muhuyi Magaji, spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily T.V. programme on Tuesday. He described the ongoing investigation as just the beginning, hinting at more revelations to come. For example, he claimed investigators uncovered diversion of N51.3 billion of local government funds to the coffers to private individuals.
“What is happening now is a tip of the iceberg,” the Chairman of the anti-graft commission, Muhuyi Magaji, claimed on the TV programme.
“As I am talking to you, we are investigating a case whereby N51.3bn local government funds were directly taking from the government coffers (and) sent to other individuals, and we traced it to people.”
More Allegations of Corruption
Magaji further claimed that during Ganduje’s administration, significant amounts of state funds were diverted. He alleged a billion Naira every month towards the end of his government in May 2023, were diverted to Bureau de Change. Monies he said, ought to have been used for road renovations as budgeted.
“We have piled series of cases. We have a case whereby N1bn in April last year (2023) was removed from government coffers under the allocation of renovating 30 roads in the metropolis and it was taken away, sent to Bureau de Change.
“We have a case of N4bn whereby it was sent from the consolidated revenue account of Kano State to an agricultural company. All these cases are before the court,” he said.
Despite criticisms from some quarters for his toughness, Magaji insists the commission’s has a duty to hold public officers accountable.
“That is the beauty of what we are doing. In Nigeria, we are not supposed to have those that will be shielded. Even, we are in the anti-corruption agency, our integrity has been tested. And that is how it is supposed to be. Anybody that is charged before the court of law, let him go and answer.”
Precedence of Corruption
In a related development, Ganduje will on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 be arraigned before a Kano High Court . He is facing of bribery allegation of accepting $413,000 and N1.38 billion in bribes, diversion, misappropriation of funds, amongst others.
Mr Ganduje, now Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing mounting pressure to resign.
His ward’s APC party executives recently suspended him, and demanded he clears himself of corruption charges first. However, the state party executives nullified the suspension and took disciplinary action against the ward officials involved.
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