By Isah Abuh Yousouf
I write in relation to the allegations made against former Governor M.A Abubakar of Bauchi state and his family by the asset recovery committee set up by the incumbent Governor, Bala Mohammad as widely reported in the media
The Allegations made by the committee are spurious and unsubstantiated.
I am fully aware that, since inception of publication of corruption and abuse of power by the Online website, Premium Times, the current Government has been trying to use the committee to cover up the matter.
I am sure the Government want to use these allegations as a tool to divert or distract attention away from its wrongdoings especially a 3.6bn contract scam that engulfed the Governor.
The procurement of vehicles at the cost of 3.6bn awarded to a company in which the incumbent Governor owns 20% stake, it’s obviously a wrong doing that contravenes the Section 19 of the corrupt practices and other related offences Act, 2000 and also in Section 5 of the CCBT Act respectively.
It appears that the committee is attempting to carry out a smear campaign against the former Governor as a diversionary tactics so as to unduly influence their mismanagement.
The Committee alleged the 1 trillion is looted by the former Governor.
The statutory allocations to the state between May 2015 to May 2019 is N321,460,759,880,34, 75% went to Recurrent and capital expenditure while other expenditures weights the remaining 25%.
It also alleged that the family of former Governor carted away items (Pasta Making Machine, 115, Sewing machine 10, carton of surgical hand gloves and several office furnitures) belonging to state. The items are remnants from what B-SWEEP distributed to the women of Bauchi state and they were donations from various individuals and organisations both locally and internationally.
B-SWEEP is a Non-govermental Organisation (NGO) initiated and established 5 years ago aimed at enhancing the well being of women, vulnerables and less privileged.
B-SWEEP Main Areas of intervention
1. Empowerment
2. Health
3. Reintegration of Women
4. Girls Education
From the establishment of B-SWEEP activities have done quite a lot in the areas mentioned above. The NGO empowered women, trained women in grains processing, provided women with grinding machines and startup capital. B-SWEEP have also trained women how to do hand woven doormats, aluminum and leather works, pasta making, sewing, baking and lots more. At the end of every programme, the NGO kitted them with relevant materials.
To say the least, B-SWEEP have done quite a lot. The items belong to BSWEEP and not Haj. Hadiza M Abubakar or Govt.
The items were in B-SWEEP Rented Office. They were moved out along with other belongings of the NGO preparatory to releasing the property back to the owner.
An inventory was done and documented and signed by the Tech team of Bsweep .The items were taken to the house( for lack of an alternative accomodation). B-SWEEP didnt operate as “Governor’s Wife pet project”.
3. The Committee Recovered 4 tractors, a luxury bus and a house.
The 4 tractors were own legally with supporting documents attached. The house was bought years with purchase documents from Late Dan Biram’s family before becoming a Governor. There was an attempt to seize the house by Mallam Isa Yuguda when he was a Governor.
It’s clearly the committee did a raid to Former Governor and the NGO.
The allegations are malicious and meant to detriment the family, since the committee claimed the items were carted away. It’s totally a lie put out by the committee.
The integrity and reputation of the committee is questionable as the chairman is facing charges by ICPC while he served as a Senator. With this alone, puts a big question marks on his integrity and that of the committee.
I must categorically state that M. A ABUBAKAR has at no time abused his office as Chief executive officer of the state. As a Lawyer who knows and respect law and order did not partake nor connived with in any breach of mentioned allegations by the committee.
