The Zamfara State Government has raised the alarm over the diversion of N10bn earmarked for the construction of a state university under the administration of former governor Abdulaziz Yari.
Commissioner for Finance in the state, Alhaji Rabiu Garba, raised the alarm during a briefing with journalists in Gusau, the capital, on Tuesday.
He said finance records showed that the money was allocated and transferred in two tranches but the money was diverted, PM News reported.
Garba said, “Based on the records available to us, the past administration in the state had diverted the sum of N10.8bn from the N37bn refunded to the state by the Federal Government for the construction of 14 federal roads.
“We learned that in May 2019, N10.8bn was transferred to the university’s projects account by the past administration in the name of construction of state university.
“The amount was transferred in two tranches, that is N5 billion each, and subsequently, N850m was also transferred to the same account on 9th May 2019.
“But instead that the amount transferred to be used for the said project, the money was diverted to other issues that have nothing to do with the university project.”
Dismissing the allegation, Commissioner for Finance under Yari’s administration, Alhaji Mukhtar Idris, said it was politically motivated.
Idris said the past administration had initiated a special account for the university project, advising Garba and the government to verify issues before going public.
He added that projects were executed at the site of the university with part of the money, while a balance was left in the project account.
He said, “Out of the money claimed by the current Commissioner for Finance, Rabiu Garba, about N4bn was left in the account and they are part of the money inherited by the present administration.
“Let the present administration explain the multibillion naira capital projects executed in the university, Talata-Mafara, before going to the media for unclarified claims.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
