By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi-A high-powered committee set up to carry out forensic audit of all major contracts awarded by the past administration from June 2007 to May 2015 in the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board, Ministries of Local Government Affairs, Bauchi Specialists Hospitals, Ministries, Deparments and Agencies has asked former Governor Isa Yuguda to account for over N212 billion expended by his administration within the period under review.

Presenting the committee’s report to Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar on yesterday at the Government house in bauchi, the Chairman, Salihu Lukman Abubakar, said most of the major contracts awarded by the past administration in all the MDAs investigated were either not completed, not executed at all despite payments,over-inflated, poorly executed or due process was not followed in the award while in others contractors were overpaid without any acceptable reason or explanation.

The Chairman lamented that the amount of money claimed to have been expended by the past administration in executing projects did not tally with the records of amount that accrued to the State from June 2007 to May 2015 from the Federation Accounts as contained in documents obtained from the Office the Accountant General of the Federation.

Yuguda

He said from the Local Governments’ contributions to the Office of the Accountant General in respect of Joint Projects, former Governor Isa Yuguda, former Commissioners for Local Government Affairs, former Special Advisers, former Permanent Secretaries and former Accountants General or their representatives as signatories to the JAAC accounts are to account for N16 billion.

On several unjustified cash withdrawals made from the accounts of the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, by Mohammed Musa, Cashier to JAAC Account, the Committee recommended that former Commissioners in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Idris Halilu and Abubakar Ahmed Faggo, retired Permanent Secretaries, Ado Santurakin Pali and Hudu Yunusa Ari, Special Advisers, in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, former Accountants General and their representatives who are cosignatories to the JAAC accounts as are to account for N 3.5 billion.

Within the period under review, the Committee discovered huge payments made in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs without appropriate payments vouchers presented to the Committee and consequently recommended that all former Commissioners to account for N 96 billion , while Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries, Internal Auditors, Cahiers, Directors of Finance in the Ministry and visiting Auditors to the Ministry be made to account for N8 billion.

In the Ministry of Health, the Committee similarly recommended 1.55 billion naira to be recovered from Current Mechanical Eng., Accrom Services, Sahnazal International, Eagle Construction, Louizoni Ferreti Enterprises, and Yima Nigeria Limited for contracts in respect of construction of Bauchi Specialist Hospital, supply, delivery and installation of hospital equipment at the new Bauchi Specialist hospital.

Under Security Vote Expenditure in the office of Secretary to the Government of Bauchi State within the period under review, the Committee recommended 4 billion naira be recovered from former Governor Isa Yuguda while 22 million naira is to be recovered from Bahijja Mahmoud and Aisha Mahmoud for construction, through direct labour, of Bauchi Skills Acquisition Centre under the Agency for Orphans and

The Committee similarly wants former Governor Isa Yuguda, all former Commissioners and all former Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry for Local Government Affairs and all former Special Advisers as well as the Accountants General or their representatives be asked to account for 1.4 Bank Loans and Overdrafts obtained under the Ministry.

Receiving the report, Governor Mohammed Abubakar commended the Committee for a job well done and assured that justice will be done to the report and warned public officers that his administration is a product of change and reiterated his administration’s commitment to zero tolerance to corruption’

He announced the constitution of a White Paper Committee under the Chairmanship of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Ibrahim Umar.