Asset recovery c’ttee indicts ex-Bauchi gov, Abubakar

The Bauchi State Funds and Asset Recovery Committee has indicted the immediate past governor, Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar for ‘‘mismanagement of state funds and violation of his oath of office during his tenure’’.

Public Relations Officer of the committee, Umar Barau Ningi, who spoke during a press conference on the findings of the committee, said they discovered ‘‘fraudulent and fictitious contracts, mismanagement, selfish interest and violation of oath office’’.

He alleged that the former governor, Abubakar sold to himself seven posh vehicles belonging to the state government in violation of provisions of the Bauchi State Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence and Public procurement Law (BMPIPP 2008), for the disposal of government assets and/or properties.

He added that Abubakar also allocated 30 exotic vehicles to his political appointees and public office holders.

“The Committee has already recovered 15 of such vehicles and is working to get back the remaining 15 with a view to returning them to government pool. The Committee has also taken steps to recover the vehicles that the former governor arbitrarily sold to himself,” he said.

Ningi said that in violation of his oath of office, ‘‘the former governor initiated a transaction and sold to himself a house with Certificate of Occupancy, No. BA/40245, located adjacent to Wikki Hotel, belonging to Bauchi State government, at a highly subsidised rate. This also is in gross violation of the (BMPIPP 2008) procurement law, for the disposal of government assets and/or properties. Section 55, subsection 4 & 5 states inter alia; ‘all procuring entities shall distribute responsibilities for the disposal of public property between procurement units and Tenders Board.

“A report of the findings shall be forwarded to the Executive Council for appropriate directive. All these provisions were found to have been violated. Above all, the disposing entity, Bauchi Geographic Information Service (BAGIS) is not backed by any law, as the bill that established the Agency in 2017 is yet to be signed into law. It follows therefore that, whatever business the Agency transacted, and with whomsoever - individuals or organisations, is illegal, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever’’.

He added that the Committee considers as morally reprehensible for a sitting governor to apply for the purchase of a government property and approve same for himself.