Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State has approved the setting up of a commission of inquiry to probe massive misappropriation of over N107 billion by the immediate past administration in the State, led by Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari.
The figure is a total sum of money discovered to have been misappropriated between 2011 to 2019.
The decision to set up the Commission was reached at the State’s Executive Council Meeting.
This was contained in a press statement signed and issued to newsmen in Gusau, the State capital, by the Special Adviser to the governor on media and public enlightenment, Hon. Zailani Bappa.
“This is partly a fallout of the final report of the Alhaji Ahmad Zabarma Committee constituted at the wake of this administration to find out the depth of engagement by the last administration in terms of public finances and procurement which was equally submitted to the Governor today at the Government House.
“The committee earlier disclosed that the last administration might have squandered the finances of the State government to the tune of over N107 billion which could not be properly accounted for.
“For instance, the sum of N10 billion was discovered to have been paid to the State government from the Federal Government by e-payment which also disappeared via e-payment within two days without any record of it in the appropriate books.
“Another ten billion found to have been paid in two tranches were discovered to have landed in the accounts of two bureau de change companies in Kano. Other shoddy deals involved many contracts awarded and either not executed or partly executed,” it stated.
According to the Committee, it was also discovered that over 1000 assorted vehicles were said to have been purchased by the last administration without trace of those vehicles.
“The State government, therefore, owes it as a duty not to allow these findings to be swept under the carpet without properly addressing them”, the government added.
