Bauchi state Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has ordered immediate arrest and prosecution of his predecessors, former governors Isa Yuguda and MA Abubakar who allegedly looted properties and assets worth over a trillion naira belong to the state government during their separate tenures.
The governor gave the indication when he received a comprehensive report of the state’s asset recovery committee constituted on 12 July, 2019 and mandated to investigate assets allegedly diverted between 2007 to 2019 at the council Chamber, Government House Bauchi.
Governor Bala who insists that government officials must remain accountable vowed to recover and ensure prosecution of the ex-governors and their officials that were indicted by the committee.
He said the state’s attorney general and some members of the committee will partner and study the recommendations of the asset recovery committee for full prosecution of those indicted.
The Acting Chairman of the committee Retired General Markus Koko Yake while submitting the report the governor said the committee has unearthed various scandals and diversion of government properties from 19 Ministries, Department and Agencies between 2007 and 2019 when Yuguda and Mr Abubaka served as governors of the state.
“As regards contracts awarded within the period under review, 19 MDAs submitted a of 12, 249 contract and services with a total contract sum of N97, 190,881.30 to the committee.
“78 contract numbers and services from 6 MDAs with a total contract sum of N63, 840, 92,807.15 representing over 65 percent of the total sum by the 19 MDAs were verified and analyzed.
The committee chairman said properties and funds diverted were mostly from the Paris and London clubs funds, ecological funds, Universal Basic Education commission funds for state Universal Basic Education Commission Board, internally generated funds, various loans taken by past administrations among others.
General Yake said the asset committee had discovered 16 plots of land in Kaduna which amounts to N1.5 billion naira allegedly diverted by the past administrations, adding that “if urgent action was not taken to recover those lands, it will be occupied by trespassers”.
The committee also recommends the immediate confiscation of a property “adjacent Wikki Hotel Bauchi which the former governor MA Abubakar esq, sold to himself without following due process, should be recovered”.
WikkiTimes recalls that the committee while briefing newsmen before the submission of the report to governor Bala Mohammed had asked the former governors and their associates to refund over one trillion naira allegedly looted by officials of the two administrations from the coffers of the state during their tenures.
