By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Kebbi State Government has launched a probe into the long-abandoned contract for the construction of the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge and Hotel in Kaduna.

This is sequel to the approval of Governor Nasir Idris for the constitution of a high-powered investigative committee.

The approval was conveyed through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, amid growing concerns over the status of the project, which was initiated during a previous military administration but has remained abandoned for several years.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Yahaya Sarki, the committee has been mandated to ascertain the legal status of the project and determine whether the contractor reconciled with the Kebbi State Government as earlier advised by the then Solicitor-General following the revocation of the contract.

The committee is also to establish the current condition of the abandoned structures, investigate the reasons behind the project’s abandonment, and examine the circumstances that led to the revocation of the contract by the state government. In addition, members are to identify both the initial and reviewed contract sums approved for the project.

The investigative panel is chaired by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi.

Other members include the Special Adviser on Due Process, Surajo Garba Bagudo; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Ahmad Umar Yarima; and the Director of Architecture and Building, Ministry of Works. The Director, EXCO, Kabiru Hassan Wasagu, will serve as Secretary.

The committee has been given two weeks to conclude its assignment and submit a comprehensive report to the state government.

Governor Idris reiterated his administration’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and due process in the execution of public projects, stressing that abandoned government assets must be thoroughly reviewed and addressed in the best interest of the people of Kebbi State.