Kano anti-corruption commission investigates N660m boreholes water contract scam at LGAs

Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission has unrevealed contract scam of N660 million meant to address the water challenges facing the state, which are feared to have been misappropriated in its ongoing probe into alleged local government contracts scam in Kano.

It was gathered that the N660 million is part of the N1.1 billion approved by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the 44 local governments to tackle issues related to water and medical supplies.

The approval covered projects slated for August, September and October 2024, with N1.1 billion allocated each month, granting N25 million to each local government.

SolaceBase gathered that of the N25 million approved and released to each local government in August, it was discovered that the caretaker chairmen were directed to remit N10 million each to the account of Novomed Pharmaceuticals, a company reportedly owned by Musa Garba, a nephew of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

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The remittance, intended for a drug supply contract, was flagged by the state’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) as “fraudulent”, leading to the interrogation of several officials, including Mohammed Kabara, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Abdullahi Bashir, chairman of the state branch of the Association for Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON); and other officials of the Ministry of Local Government. They were questioned on Tuesday and Wednesday and subsequently granted administrative bail.

The suspects reportedly admitted during the investigation that they had not strictly adhered to the Kano State Public Procurement Law, stating that such deviations had become a “convention.”

However, investigators revealed to SolaceBase that the interrogation on Wednesday uncovered more complexities in the case than initially anticipated.

It was gathered that the inquiry originally focused on the N440 million allocated for the drug supply, but it soon became apparent that the remaining N660 million, intended for borehole repairs across the 44 local governments, might also have been misappropriated.

An investigator, who requested anonymity, said: “As they defended the contract awarded to Novomed, it became clear that the N660 million allocated for borehole repairs may not have been used appropriately.

It was gathered that due process was seriously violated in the N660m allotted for borehole repairs across the 44 LGAs.

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SolaceBase was reliably informed on Thursday that about 20 LGAs out of the 44 council chairmen that have been interrogated so far, it was discovered that most of them transferred the funds to personal or individual accounts.

‘’The money was discovered in one of the local government chairman’s account while the Director of Personnel Management (PM of another has the fund in his account, the source said.

”A particular LGA chairman said he utilized N5m for the repairs of boreholes while N10m was shared between him and the DPM.”

The source said this is sad as our investigation revealed that some of the boreholes required less than N80,000 for repair.

‘’’ The other 22 LGAs are expected to undergo interrogation today, Thursday.’’

‘’Right now the commission is working on recovering all the funds and make recommendations to the Justice Ministry on the next line of action. Except if the attorney general grants the commission the fiat to prosecute the cases if we are through with the investigation, ‘’the source noted.