The outgoing governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle allegedly paid over N70 billion to more than 100 companies with “no evidence of service rendered to the state.”
Director of Public Affairs for Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Osita Nwajah, stated this in reaction to Matawalle’s recent jibe at the commission.
Governor Matawalle had on Wednesday challenged the EFCC to stop beaming its searchlight only on governors but to also focus its attention on the presidency and cabinet ministers in its anti-corruption fight.
In response, EFFC says it is investigating the governor over allegations of corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion.
“But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegations of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70billion,” Matawalle. “The money which was sourced as a loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.”
He added: “The commission’s investigations so far reveal that more than 100 companies have received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state. Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the Commission, made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars.
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“They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara state but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar and return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the commissioners in charge of finance and local government affairs.
“One of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6billion on an N10billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara state. Another contractor collected over N3 billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400 million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor.”
EFCC further disclosed that N300 million has been recovered from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited. According to the commission, the funds were traced to Zamfara Investment Company.
