• Writes Buhari to caution Katsina Governor
Immediate past Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema has described as deliberate falsehood, allegations of misappropriation of funds and huge debt profile levelled against his administration by Governor Aminu Masari.
Shema, in a 13-page petition addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari written on his behalf by the law firm of Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), decried what it called the unexpected campaign of calumny waged against him by Masari.
Titled: “Deliberate blackmail, denigration, vilification and persecution of Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Shema, the immediate past Governor of Katsina State by the Governor Aminu Bello Masari-led administration – appeal for caution,” the petition described the allegations as untrue and unconscionable attempt to sully the locally and globally applauded developmental strides of Shema’s tenure as well as dent his image.
The letter, according to the law firm has become necessary, giving that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have started hounding the former governor’s appointees, without any charge or accusation, and without information on who their accusers were.
Urging Buhari to call the Masari-led administration to order, it said that heavy propaganda was being mounted against Shema by the present administration through the state owned media, portraying him and his government as treacherous.
On the alleged N42 billion debt incurred by his administration, Shema said no loan, whether internal or external, private or public, local or foreign, was applied for, collected, received or in any way obtained for Katsina state.
He denied owing local government workers N6.2billion gratuity, adding that the local governments were incharge of payment of salaries and gratuities of their workers.
The petition reads: “In appreciation of and respect for the constitutionally created tiers of government, local governments were in charge of payment of salaries and gratuities to their workers. Hence, the alleged N6.2billion gratuity, which is obviously fabricated, cannot in any way or under any guise be tagged or branded ‘a state debt’. It is also untrue that a sum of N3.1billion or any other sum was owed in gratuities to retired civil servants/workers as at the end of the tenure of our client.
“Particularly, in response to the contrived allegation on the foreign debt portfolio of $78million USD, our client categorically posits that this figure represents an accumulation of facilities taken and facilitated by previous administrations in the state, starting from the military era; and not a single dollar of it was incurred, borrowed or obtained by the administration led by our client…some predate the inception of Katsina State in 1985, and others dating as far back to 1965-about two decades before the creation of Katsina State.
“It is therefore, mind-boggling and preposterous that the Masari administration would make such unfounded allegations, despite the well documented report and details furnished it upon inauguration.
“For the avoidance of doubt and at the risk of repetition, be it noted that not one cent of the said loan was incurred during our client’s tenure as Governor.
“What is more? The Federal Government, right from time, makes the necessary deductions from the monthly statutory allocations due to Katsina State, in order to settle this foreign debt portfolio.
“These monthly deductions, at some point, were as much as N72 million every month. As a result, the Ibrahim Shema led-administration appointed an external auditor to audit all the payments made and the actual state of the alleged debt.
“The external consultant, in its preliminary report, stated that not only had the debt been completely defrayed, the state had probably overpaid and was entitled to some refund.
“In his handover note, our client further advised the present administration to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation into the repayment of the loan and pursue a refund of the probable excess payment.
“All the above were intentionally left out of the report of the transition committee. Our client challenges the Masari administr?ation to make public, any foreign loan taken by his administration, as well as the date, the creditor (foreign bank), amount, and the purpose for which the purported loan was obtained.
“Our moneys disbursed by or through the Ministry of Finance throughout our client’s administration were carefully documented and the said documents were supplied to the present administration.
“It is therefore, strange and mischievous to say the least, that the transition committee alleged that a sum of N13billion is unaccounted for by/at the Ministry of Finance, without supporting the said accusation documentarily, factually and without founding same on any logical or analytical ground.
“This mischievous allegation totters the imagination and begs the following questions, to wit, how would the sum of N13 billion ‘disappear’ from a ministry in Katsina State when the same government admits that the amount left in the coffers of the state by the Ibrahim Shema led administration is in excess of N4 billion as at May?
“How would anyone allege that such an amount is unaccounted for when it is on record that Katsina State was|is the only state in Nigeria that fully paid the salaries of civil servants and did not owe any arrears in salaries as at May 29?
“We invite Mr. President to note that this outstanding performer and very prudent administrator (our client), settled May, 2015 salaries before leaving office. How could such an amount of money be said to be ‘misappropriated’, when the Ibrahim Shema-led administration constructed a 35 thousand capacity stadium?
“Barring any ominous underpinning, a cursory look at the books of the Ministry and all rhe documents revealed that there were no misappropriated funds and all funds were disbursed by the Ministry of Finance, and more, were used for the enviable projects executed by the state during our client’s tenure,” the letter stated.
It confirmed the transfer of N7 billion to ALGON account, noting that it was done in compliance with the allocation procedures of the state.
“The said sum is designated for the payment of salaries of members of the staff of 34 Local Government Areas of Katsina State, and applied in respect of the joint projects by the local government areas (LGAs).
“While the LGAs exercised immense autonomy in the use of this fund, our client ensured that same was dispensed and/or used and applied shrewdly and prudently.
“Again, it is untrue that the SUBEB fund was misappropriated. Using the mildest of terms, this allegation is nauseating. All funds which have been allocated to Katsina State SUBEB have been appropriately and judiciously appropriated.
“At this point, it is important to mention that throughout our client’s eight-year tenure, he set up a free education programme for the entire Katsina State.
“Little wonder, the state was annually adjudged as the best performer by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB)…
‘As regards the heinous allegations of N7,100,000,000 SURE-P fund, our client states that this is totally false and baseless. The disbursement of the SURE-P fund in Katsina is budgetarily provided for, and duly expended in strict compliance with the provisions of the state’s Appropriation Law.
“All expenditures were duly tabled at the floor of the State House of Assembly and duly approved. The import of this is that the disbursements, allocations, and/or usage of the said funds are well documented.
