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By Jane Onozure

The governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Zamfara State, Alhaji  Sani  Shinkafi, has urged the acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, to investigate the immediate past government of  Zamfara State, over alleged misappropriation of N251 billion belonging to the state.

Alhaji Shinkafi

In a petition dated July 1, 2019, Shinkafi accused the administration of leaving the state in huge debts. The petitioner also accused the government of “wanton looting and misappropriation” of the state’s resources.

Giving a breakdown of how the alleged fraud was perpetrated, Shinkafi claimed the administration left liabilities from ongoing projects to the tune N151,190,477,572.02.

He said: “Unremitted national housing fund deductions from salaries from 2016 to 2019 stand at N1,431,645,305,99. The liabilities under the Ministry of Education, which involves external examinations and institutions of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Al-Hikma University, Ilorin and Key Science Academy, Abuja stand at N2.812.172.155.

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“The committee further discovered that of the N2 billion approved by the Yari administration for the payment of backlog of gratuity owed to retired workers in the state, only retired permanent secretaries were paid, which is to the tune of only N400,000.00, a whopping sum of N1.6 billion is unaccounted for.

“We call on the commission to investigate, prosecute officials of the former administration  over the alleged misappropriation, diversion, siphoning  and financial recklessness of N251 billion, as alleged by the Transition Committee Chairman headed by the immediate  past  deputy governor of the Zamfara State, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala.”