Trouble appears more evident within the administrative cabinet of the Executive arm of the Kano Government under the governorship of Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso. This is as information available to 247ureports.com indicate that the principal officers of the Kano State House of Assembly have grown uncontrollably “mad” at the Governor of Kano State over recent developments bordering on financial crminality. Particularly, the lawmakers are said to be unhappy over the governor’s refusal to include them in the fleecing of the State treasury.
As a caveat, 247ureports.com had reported previously on the alleged execess of the Kano State governor in a publication titled “Gov Kwankwaso’s Drug Abuse, Assault on Cabinet Members, Corruption & Ibrahim Shekarau” which espoused on the open secret of Kwankwaso’s drug addiction, the turmoil within his cabinet and financial offenses.
According to highly credible sources within the inner caucus of the Governor aides, immediately following the publication, the governor was heard on Tuesday @ 3am [October 4, 2011] in a loud anger tantrum. “The man was hollering at the top of his voice in the early hours of Today in one of his induced madness. Dr. Dangwani, the Chief of Staff, had to be summoned to the government house to calm him“. As the Chief of Staff arived, the source adds, the governor turned to him and began shouting “I am the Excellency! Who is the Excellency?”. The visibly shaken Chief of Staff responded “You are indeed the Excellency“. The Chief of Staff successfully calmed the governor and the governor was reported to spend the large part of the day “in doors”.
Meanwhile, reconciliatory moves are currently being undertaken by the stakeholders and elders in Kano State over what impartial observers cite as the imminent collapse of the Kwankwaso cabinet owing to internal fights and crumblings. Sources indicate that 2/3 of the Commissioners are in “hot” discussions with the opposition camp – possibly with the camp of the former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. Similar crumblings within the Kano State Assembly are said to be emanating and directed at the Kano State Governor. As gathered, the lawmakers may have “an axe to grind with him” over what they termed as “financial offenses” committed by the governor.
Top on the list of the Governor shaddy deals and near financial offenses is the activities of the governor through his brother, Baba Musa Kwankwaso [popularly known as “Baba”] who is employed at the Kano State Housing Cooporation. The governor “unofficially” appointed Baba to handle all the lucrative contracts associated with the State Universal Basic Education Board [SUBED] including the feeding contract of all State owned boarding schools.
The recent resignation/sacking of the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu Wudil, as gathered, was the result of Baba’s undue influence into the activities of the SUBEB. According to 247ureports.com source, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu Wudil, the sacked chairman, had bitterly complained on how Gov Kwankwaso rendered the SUBEB Board useless in contract award by subverting the Board’s functions thus throwing due process to the wind. The sacked Chairman was severally heard openly complaining that Kwankwaso’s brother, Umar Musa Kwankwaso [Baba], always cornered the juiciest contracts without observing due processes. He was said to be bringing written notes from Kwankwaso’s Chief of Staff, Dr Yunusa Dangwani on how to dispense contracts to Kwankwaso’s brothers and cronies. Insiders cite N2.8 billion class room contracts that were awarded and allocated to Kwankwasiya associates without the Board’s knowledge. The source continues to add that “Alhaji Yakubu Adamu’s sack brings to fore one of the several contradictions within Kwankwaso administration. There is a serious deep divisions within government circles as many believed that Kwankwaso is fooling the public by feigning prudence while using several fronts to swindle public coffer of several billions of naira since his controversial ascension to power in May 2011.
Gov Kwankwaso, in a similar swoop, ordered all its State contractors to adhere to buying roofing zinc only from Baba Musa Kwankwaso. Baba had pre-ordered a Kwankwasiyya branded roofing sheets from China, in anticipation of getting an exclusive market since his brother (Governor Kwankwaso) “forced/mandated” all government contractors to use the type of branded zinc that he [Baba] solely sells.
247ureports.com source gathered Kwankwaso’s wife, Salamatu as beneficiary of the Kwankwaso’s nepotism/shaddy deals. Mrs Salamatu Kwankwaso produces and supplies interlocking tiles, which Kwankwaso’s government “directed” (via a circular with ref: LS/ADM/43/TP1), that owners/occupiers of properties within the metropolitan area “must be sandcreted or interlocked…” thus paving way for her company which is situated along Yahaya Gusau road to have an exclusive patronage.
Political observers believe that there exist a sleath all over Kwankwaso as he potends to be prudent while cornering all the contracts to himself, family and in-laws.
The infamous Garba Musa Kwankwaso is reported to the sole supplier of water treatment chemicals [alum] in Kano. Garba Kwankwaso also doubles as a front for the governor. He fronted for the governor in the purchase of vehicles recently donated as patrol cars to the security organs of the state. 247ureports.com gathered that over fifty [50] vehicles were sold to the state government at an inflated price of over N9m each against the actual cost of N4m. Garba also fronted for the hurried purchase of multi-billion fertlizer, the repair of gate to the government house at a warping sum of N5m.
This is in addition to official records which indicate the governor spent N600m in less than 100 days from the Special Services Department.
Meanwhile, available information indicates that the lawmakers have begun to lose their cool with the Governor following his abrupt slashing of their Overheads, incapacitating their Oversight functions, freezinf all training programs, seminars and excursions. The governor also stopped remittance for Constituancy Projects [a gesture advanced by the past administration that enables active participation of lawmakers in all projects]. The governor is reported to treat the complaints of the lawmakers with “coldness and indignity”.
A principal source reveals that during last Sallah, the Speaker of the Kano State Assembly [believed to be a boy of the Governor and a PDP member] attempted to source an “Honoraria” from the Governor’s office. He was asked to provide a budget – which he submitted at the tuned of N44 million equivalent of N1.1million per lawmaker. But the Governor was said to respond in a manner deemed disrespectful by the lawmakers. The Governor accused the lawmakers of rapacity and slashed the money to a “paltry” N4m equivalent to about N100,000 per lawmaker. The lawmaker were stunned. And when the Chief of Staff, Dr Dangwani, attempted to plead on behalf of the lawmakers, the Governor, reportedly “snubbed him by heaping unprintable insults on the lawmakers”.
A source close to the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly tell 247ureports.com that the fear of the lawmakers mustering up the audacity to probe the governor over the many shaddy deals is non-existent. He notes that 30 out of the 40 lawmakers are members of the PDP and will not go against the governor. Sharing similar view is another authoritative source who reveals that the governor has reached out to the lawmakers through his brother, Baba. The adds that Baba was told to share the boarding school feeding contract to 30 of the lawmakers.
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