By Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz
The Acting Governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, is set to probe the administration of impeached Governor Murtala Nyako, accusing him of plundering the state’s funds to the tune of over N80 billion.
Fintiri, in his maiden broadcast to the people of the state yesterday, alleged that never in the history of Adamawa had “executive stealing and institutionalised corruption been elevated to the level of statecraft as in the past administration.”
He said: “The high level of mindless plundering of the state treasury, the shameless and outrageous executive stealing that took place was on a scale far worse than the ravages that the insurgents had perpetrated in the North-east.
“The task before this administration is daunting, more so with a debt profile of more than N12 billion in the Statutory Revenue Account, apart from liabilities amounting N70 billion in the state funds that have been diverted to non-viable projects.”
The acting governor, who is expected to act for three months before an election, promised to set up a judicial panel of inquiry and to synergise with all anti-graft agencies in the country to recover the stolen state’s funds and, through effective positive publicity, bring to public notice the “abuses that necessitated and justified the change of government in the state.”
Fintiri said: “We have, therefore, mapped out strategies to reinvigorate the various sectors of the economy through which dividends of democracy can reach our citizens.
“The Secretary to the State Government shall, in due course, inform the world about these scandalous abuses and how the simple canons of government activities were thrown overboard.
“We have mapped out strategies to reinvigorate the various sectors of the economy through which dividends of democracy can reach our citizens. These include giving a new lease of life to the civil service and machinery of government, which we have already begun; a re-appraisal of our health, education, infrastructure and social services as well as ensuring economic rejuvenation and provision of equity, justice, fairness and respect for all good and honest citizens.”
He called on indigenes to rally round the government to correct the damage inflicted on the economy, democracy for the benefit of “unity in diversity,” saying that he was confident that with the resolve, determination and love for Adamawa state, the people would triumph.
He added that posterity “will judge my actions in bringing succour to the populace.”
