Former governor of Bauchi state Mohammed Abubakar has refuted the corruption allegations levelled against him by the assets and funds recovery committe set up by the incumbent governor Bala Mohammed saying the panel has distorted the records and misrepresented the facts to smear him.
The ex-governor through his media aide Ali M. Ali, in a press statement said the present administration in the state is unprepared for governance but resorted to leveling accusations against the past government.
“Our attention has been drawn to the rehash of the several ‘sins’ of former governor of Bauchi state, MA Abubakar while in office and presented as ‘fresh’ evidence of his corruption and abuse of office.
“The latest salvo is by the so called Bauchi state Assets and Funds Recovery Committee which addressed a press conference and misfired, as usual, and as typical of a government adrift clutching at straws and playing ostrich.
“Confronted by the daunting task of running a state with lean resources and clearly unprepared to make sacrifices, the government through the committee is busy distorting records and misrepresenting facts, both of which have become its hallmarks,” he said.
Ali said they have addressed virtually all the charges leveled against the government of MA Abubakar in the past ranging from debt profile of the state to funds expended on mahogany used in cemetery for burials.
On the allegation that the former governor sold to himself vehicles belonging to the state government in addition to purchasing a house also belonging to the government, Ali claimed that these were gross distortions of facts.
According to him, the law provides that users of government vehicles that have been in use for upwards to three years are at liberty to purchase them.
“The vehicles in question have been in use for more than four years.The law provides that they can be sold at 10% of the book value. It is therefore perplexing that the committee is alleging foul play here.
“As a matter of fact the Hilux vehicles that constituted the former governor’s convoy had engine change due to wear and tear associated with convoy duties.
“The House MA Abubakar purchased was one of a three property situated on one Plọt wholly owned by the former governor long before he became chief executive of the state.
“As a law abiding citizen, the property in question was duly valued and a competitive price of N23 million paid by Abubakar was paid from a personal account.This is verifiable.No under the table deal was struck.”
He alleged that the assets recovery committee was peopled by known political foes of Abubakar saying that they never gave his principal fair hearing but invited the media to besmirch his reputation with allegations.
