Not all appears well with the government of the northwestern State of Kebbi State. A cantankerous fete has taken hold of the Governor of the State, Dakingari and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Aminu Musa Habib Jega. Information available to 247ureports.com reveals that the governor of Kebbi State has finalized impeachment plot against the Speaker of the State Assembly over an alleged embezzlement of N7billion. The impeachment was to take place before the weekend.
The trouble between the Governor and the Speaker began on the eve of February 11, 2012 when the Supreme Courts nullified the gubernatorial election that brought the Dakingari to the seat of governorship. The Court ruling ordered for a new election to be held within a prescribed number of days. Dakingari was removed from the governor’s seat – and was replaced by the Speaker as the acting governor. The Speaker acted as governor for a period of twenty eight [28] days – overseeing the conduct of the gubernatorial election – which Dakingari won and returned as the governor in mid-March 2012.
According to government sources, when Dakingari returned as Governor, he found the state coffers emptied by the then acting governor. In particular, the governor’s men pegged the sum of N7billion as having grown wings. The governor charged that the former acting governor awarded fraudulent contracts to friends and associates. In the words of the governor, “he [speaker] spent a lot of money in that 28days, wastage and embezzlement”.
Specifically, the governor’s men pointed to N3billion fertilizer contract awarded to Dakingari’s nephew [name = Lawani] as one of the conduits with which the former acting siphoned money out of the state coffers. According to the information received, the speaker had reached a deal with Lawani on the N3billion fertilizer contract – that was supposed to net him a little over N1billion. Lawani was reported to have supplied the fertilizer but failed to keep to the terms of the deal reached with the then acting governor. Instead what Lawani did was to purchase three [3] Prado Sport Utility Vehicles [SUVs] for the three [3] of the Speakers’ wives. The fertilizers were dumped at the government house.
In line with the spirit of the N3billion fertilizer largess, the then acting governor reportedly shared the entire members of the legislature with N500,000 to pacify and/or sedate them. In addition to the N500,000, the then acting governor arbitrary approved luxury retreat for the lawmakers in Dubai. Sources indicate that the lawmakers have left for the retreat.
Also, government sources point two more fraudulent projects – electrification and hospital building – as conduits used by the then acting governor to siphon state funds. Hon. Aminu Musa Habib Jega awarded an electrification contract for his hometown in Jega worth nearly N1billion. Information indicates Hon. Jega collected 40% of the contract sum equivalent to N400million – upfront. The former acting governor also awarded a contract for the building of a hospital – also in his hometown – not minding that his hometown already had a hospital facility. The contract was awarded for the sum of N400million. The former acting governor was said to collect 10% of the contract sum upfront equivalent to N40million.
Further inquiry uncovered that the former acting governor may have gone on a spending spree with his newfound wealth. Within days of his accession to the seat of governor, he purchased three [3] luxurious houses in Maitama Abuja for the three [3] of his wives. Each house was worth N60mllion.
Gov Dakingari, on his part, has acted to revoke all contracts and agreements signed by the then acting governor. He has set up a panel to investigate the activities of the former acting governor. The Governor stayed action of the distribution of the fertilizer until the panel completes their investigation. A source within legislative arm of the Kebbi State government revealed that the governor maybe unhappy with the fact that the monies he had reserved to siphon was made away with by the former acting governor. The source who happens to be a lawmaker added that the governor had already called on the lawmakers to initiate impeachment moves against the Speaker. “We were to act before this weekend” said the lawmaker who explained that the lawmakers appear somewhat sympathetic to plight of the Speaker – and are not eager to impeach the speaker.
