The Zamfara Local Governments Projects Verification Committee under the leadership of Builder Ibrahim Isah Mayana has startling revelation that former Governor Yari misappropriated the sum of N3.5 Billion on the payment of Hajj and Umrah fares for under aged children and his family members while he was Governor of the State.

The Chairman made the revelation today while presenting his committee’s report to Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle at the Government House Mini Chamber, Gusau.

Bldr Ibrahim Isah said the administration of former governor Abdulaziz Yari violated all the financial regulations and abused the Due Process in handling government funds where billions of Naira were misappropriated deliberately at the State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under his watch sighting the N3.5 billion as one of such callous misappropriations in the name of payment of Hajj and Umrah fares mostly to the under aged children who were not under any obligations in Islam to perform any of the Islamic rites but because they are his children and those of his political allies.

However, Mayana said illegal deductions of 6.5 billion Naira was discovered and the money was not remitted to the appropriate accounts.

He further said that all the contracts awarded by the Ministry for Local Government were highly inflated as discovered in all bills of quantity while some of the contracts were only stated on paper but never carried out yet such contracts were paid giving example of one contract Samaila S/Pawa who received a payment of N74.6 Million for a contract that was not even executed at Kadauri town area of Maru local government and the over payment of N17 billion for electrification work to Alliance Trading company.

Mayana also said his committee discovered over payment of over 2 billion for the Electrification contract work noting that “Very disappointingly, our committee discovered a contracting firm, Alliance Trading Company received a payment of N22.5 billion Naira while the total evaluated work done by the contractor stands at N20 billion but the company had received over payment of 2.5 billion”.

Similarly, another over payment was discovered to be made to the China Zhengzhou to the tune of N6.4 billion for a work that only attained 27 percent but the contractor has already received a payment of 14.5 billion.

He added that the same China Zhengzhou that is handling first phase of the construction work of motorized bore holes has been paid the sum of N34.1 billion and after his Committee vetted the total contract, it discovered a difference of N10.5 billion that will be refunded to the state government.

Another shocking revelation is how the Ministry siphoned over N2 billions through unregistered bureau de change of Dallatu investment, Dawisu Multipurpose and Namu Namu Enterprises.

Mayana’s committee recommended to the government to constitute a Judicial Commission of Enquiry to recover all the looted funds.

Immediately after receiving the report, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle assured that all the committee’s recommendations as contained in the report will be implemented after a careful study.

The Governor said that the purpose of constituting the committee is to instil sanity, transparency and accountability in matters relating to the award of contracts in the State.

Matawalle explained that the previous administration made awards of contracts as a means of siphoning funds and abusing the trust of the public.

The Governor also commended the committee for a job weldone and for extensively reviewing a wide range of projects awarded by the previous government.

The report presentation was attended by the Chief of Staff Government House, Col Bala Mande rtd, Former Minister of Finance and Honourary Adviser to the Governor Ambassador Bashir Yuguda Gusau, Former Deputy Governor, Hon Mukhtar Ahmed Anka, Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Alhaji Bala Bello Maru, Commissioners and Special Advisers among others.