Former Accountant General of Sokoto State, Aminu Abdullahi, has debunked claims by the former governor of the state, Attahiru Bafarawa, that he said he left a sum of N13 Billion naira in the coffers of the state while leaving office in 2007.
The former accountant general while addressing newsmen in a press statement on Thursday said all the money left in the purse of the state as at 2007 was less than one billion naira .
Recall that the former governor in his remarks during the launching of his foundation on Wednesday reaffirm that he left the sum in the state government account when leaving office as the governor of the state on May 29, 2007.
Abdullahi in his reaction said, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement by former Governor of Sokoto state, Alh. AttahirU Dalhatu Bafarawa in which he again claimed to have left N13 billion in the coffers of the state when he left office in 2007.
“He made the statement at the so-called inauguration of a committee to disburse N1b relief to the people.
“Unfortunately, he failed to disclose the source of the money. we challenge him to do so for the benefit of the public.
“It is there a surprise that Bafarawa chose to revisit the issue for reasons that smacked of ulterior motives and is definitely in bad faith.
“This claim coming 17 years after he left office is not only mischievous but a scheme to play with the intelligence of the people and to whip up sentiments for cheap political gains”
He further said, “Every reasonable person is aware that the claim by Bafarawa had been proven to be false and perceived as a fraudulent statement to deceive the people.
“Which included corruption, illegal sales of government shares, misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property and unauthorized payment committed between 2003 and 2007.
“The EFCC had followed the case which included corruption, illegal sales of government shares, misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property and unauthorized payment committed between 2003 and 2007.
“The agency even confiscated some of his assets in 2010.
“Prior to that, the state government had even set up an investigative panel under the leadership of Alhaji Namadina Abdurrahman to find ouf where the said N13B was lodged.
“The result was that the said money was no where to be found, His successor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko inherited, not N13b but a number of unfinished projects”
He further said his successor worked assiduously to improve the lot of the people and left legacies which he said are still visible all over the state.
The former accountant general further present banks document to back up his claim.