Katsina state government Monday debunked allegations of misappropriating N40 billion fighting banditry in the last five years of the Bello Masari-led administration.
Alstate government also said there is no iota of truth that it diverted over N24 billion from state security escrow account into accounts of some political office holders in the state as alleged by a concerned citizen.
A businessman, Mahdi Shehu, had in a radio live programme last week, alleged that N24 billion state security funds were diverted under Governor Aminu Masari’s watch from 2015 to 2019.
Shehu, who is also an activist, had in a subsequent interview also alleged that over N40 billion was diverted in shoddy circumstances during the period.
He said N49 million was spent on phones for the state executive council members, while hundreds of millions were diverted into accounts of public office holders.
Putting the issue in perspective however, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa, during a world press conference on Monday, said the person who made the allegations didn’t base same on facts on ground.
Inuwa said the entire monies that accrued to the state security escrow account from 2015 to date was a little over N6 billion and not up to N24 billion as being alleged by Shehu.
According to him, a little over N2 million was expended to buy phones for the state executive council members to enable them reach out to members at any time their attention was needed.
“The allegation that the state government embezzled more than N40 billion, with hundreds of millions credited into accounts of public office holders is frivolous and unfounded.”
“The entire money that came into the state security escrow account since we came into office is N6.4 billion, so how can somebody say that we embezzled N24 billion from same account?”
“When you deduct monies paid as salaries and pensions, along other expenditures, what usually remains is not more than N200 million or thereabouts. Where or how was N40 billion diverted in such case?
“We promised to expend public monies in a transparent manner and the details of what goes in and out of government coffers is there for all to see.
“We intend to seek redress in court, and some of the public office holders including Senator Bello Mandiya, have denied the alleged monies diverted into his account,” he said.
