The All Progressives Congress in Kano State has expressed concern by the recurring incidents of diversion of Federal Government’s palliatives by officials of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party government in the state.
It therefore called for an independent investigation and prosecution of the culprits or else it would take legal action against the State government.
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A statement on.Saturday by the state party chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, noted that government failure to take necessary action against its officials found to be involved in the diversion of the palliatives may be interpreted as acts being perpetrated with its tacit support.
He said it was unfortunate that last week, hundreds of bags of rice labeled “Federal Government Food Security Program” were discovered at a private school, Wada Sagagi Islamic School owned by the Chief Staff, Government House, Kano, Shehu Wada Sagagi.
Abbas insisted that no convincing argument was put forward by Sagagi as to how the bags of rice which form part of the grains donated to the Kano State government to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal among the poor and vulnerable residents were found in his private residence turned into Islamiyya school.
The APC chairman stated that in December, last year, one Tasiu Al’amin-Roba, allegedly working for the Secretary to the State Government, Baffa Abdullahi Bichi, who was identified as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Cabinet office, was arrested over alleged diversion of the state’s palliatives.
He said that the suspects were found repackaging the rice and maize at a warehouse located at Sharada, and was subsequently arrested with a promise to drag him to court.
Abbas added that the government of Kano State is in the habit of rebranding and repackaging some parts of the grains they wanted to distribute, mostly to their members with the picture of the governor and logo of the NNPP.
The party chair noted that in September, last year, the Managing Director of the state Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Dr. Tukur Minjibir was suspended for alleged involvement in an inappropriate sale of grains belonging to the Kano State government.
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“It is therefore very important that the Kano state government should not stop at suspension or investigation. All actions taken should be concluded by prosecuting all those found to have been involved in these scandals to serve as a deterrent,” he said.
Abbas pointed out that recently, the Tinubu administration sent 70 trucks of fertilizer, seedlings and other inputs for free distribution to farmers in Kano, but the state government claimed the credit as if it procured the products and was said to have been sold to farmers at N5,000 per bag.
The party chair described the actions of the NNPP government as a deliberate attempt to rubbish the effort of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in supporting the people during this trying period.
“At different times, the federal government donated truckloads of grains to the Kano State government for distribution to the needy, but apart from symbolic official launch, these interventions have not been felt in the larger society,” the statement added.
He said: “To our knowledge, Kano State government received 100 trucks of rice, 44 trucks of sorghum, and four trucks of maize. It was also apportioned 969 metric tons of maize, 1,320 metric tons of sorghum, and 417 metric tons of millet, to be distributed equitably across all local government areas. Just recently, 20 trucks of rice were also given to Kano state.”
The chairman observed that it was unfortunate the people have yet to see the impact of these efforts by President Tinubu in Kano state as evidenced in the level of frustration and expression of anger against the government.
However, reacting to the allegation, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Alhaji Shehu Bala Sagagi, denied rebranding and diversion of the palliative rice.
He said: “Those making the allegation are not been fair to me, they should at least show the where house where the palliative was kept and the quantity of the rice kept. However, because they were eager to blackmail me, they went round making allegation that I have diverted palliative.
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“The rice in question was meant for the orphans students in my school and it being kept inside the school not at a where house. The rice was given to the students by Alhaji Baffa Bichi and Malam Mujahiddeen Aminuddeen, the deputy commander general of the Kano State Hisbah Board.
“So, I have never divert or rebrand any federal government palliative rice as being speculated. The rice is meant for the students of my Qur’anic school which I have been running for almost five years now,” he concluded.
