Former government officials of Zamfara state have clarified issues surrounding the allegedly missing N70b from the state government account.
The ex-government officials who addressed the media in Abuja, also called for the impeachment Governor Daida Lawal of Zamfara state.
Led by the former commissioner of finance and economic planning, Honourable Rabiu Garba and Honourable Ibrahim Dosara, former commissioner of information, they said it is mischief and campaign of calumny on the part of the present government, led by Governor Lawal.
They accused the staye governor of engaging in extra budgetary spending without the approval of the State House of Assembly.
Hon Garba said, “We are calling on the State House of Assembly to impeach the governor for spending outside the budget of the state. He awarded contract that is not in the budget. A budget primarily is a source document where works and services of government are going to be rendered. A budget is an act of the state assembly which the governor violated.
“He awarded the contract that was not in the budget. There was no evidence that the contra t awarded was budgeted for because I have a copy of the budget.
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“There was no virement to support the contracts that were awarded. There was no evidence that the virement had been received by the State House of Assembly and even, if there is, the state assembly had not attended to that issue, therefore, he was engaged in extra budgetary spending, which is an impeachable offence and we call on them to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.”
He said the state government terminated the contract of a company and asked it to return N4. 5b.
“The company’s contract has been terminated and the company was asked to refund N4.5b for work allegedly not done. It is not true that money was paid without due process. They have revoked the contract illegally and it was awarded to friends and cronies of government.
“The contract was initially awarded for about N25b and has now been jacked up to N50b after the contract of the company was terminated. The company has taken the state government to court.
“As far as the former government of the state is is concerned, we will not talk about it again. The contractor has the right to challenge termination of contract since it was duely signed and awarded.
The allegation that contract was illegally taken by the former government of Alhaji Bello Matawalle is false.
“EFCC went to banks and asked about the contract we executed. The Court stopped them from further investigation because they don’t have jurisdiction as it related to the state fund.
“The former chairman of EFCC came to a conclusion that the funds were diverted from the companies to, private pocket without knowing that those companies executed contracts on various project but he came out to say that the state government diverted N70b to 100 private companies for his personal use which is absolutely untrue.
“The only thing is that he cannot go to state government and collect documents of those contract because the court has stopped him and is desperate to nail the former governor. That’s the reason he came up with that revelation of N70b. The issue of N70b does not arise because N30b is for the 14 local gover and the remaining N40b is for the state governennt
Hon Dosara, on his part said the government of former Governor Matawalle left the state better than whatnitnis today.
He said insecurity has been on the increase since the present ladministartion came into office on May 29.
“We left the state better than it is today. The state is exposed to bandits and as things are now, the state capital, Guasau, is not spared.
“Since May 29 when this government came into power, unnecessary IDP camps have been created. The primary responsibility of protecting lives and property have not been attended to. He should face governance and face allegations that cannot be substantiated”, Dosara said.
