The frosty relationship between Katsina State governor Aminu Masari and the immediate past governor of the state, Ibrahim Shema, is widening by the day.
Since the coming of Masari as governor on 29th May, 2015, things have not been the same.
Right from the day of his inauguration, Masari was unequivocal in expressing his dissatisfaction over state of affairs in Katsina and did not mince words in expressing his readiness to check almost everything.
This is evident in the constitution of committees by the administration to investigate his predecessor.
Since assumption of office, Masari has not hidden his desire to ensure that all activities of the past government are made public, a move seen by loyalists of the former government as blackmail and witch-hunt.
Separate committees have been set up to dig up what transpired in the last four years.
Some of the establishments that are under close watch include the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), state Road Maintenance Agency (KASAROMA), Millennium Development Goals/SURE-P, Girl Child Education and Child Development.
The committees were mandated to ascertain location and status of projects executed between 2011 and 2015.
They are to also determine whether or not, funds earmarked for the said projects have been released and judiciously utilised.
Similarly, Masari told the various committees to determine whether or not, financial and administrative operational guidelines were adhered to in the conduct of activities of the places penciled for investigation.
They are also expected to advise government on any other matter considered expedient for the improvement of service delivery in the state.
In retrospect, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) Transition Committee submitted its report to the incoming administration, several alleged financial misdeeds, running into billions of naira were said to have been uncovered after scrutinising the books of the affected agencies and departments.
Sources said that was what basically necessitated the establishment of the new fact-finding committees.
Masari won the governorship election in Katsina State under the platform of the APC, a development that paved the way for the dislodgement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government.
While the new government is probing, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), which recently granted administrative bail to some government officials who had appeared before it in Abuja is also vigorously beaming its searchlight in Katsina.
The officials that were summoned to Abuja included the state Accountant General, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and that of agriculture as well as the managing director of the state Road Maintenance Agency (KASARAOMA).
They were summoned through a letter with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/ISOS/TM.III/VOL.9/926 and 927, a copy of which was obtained by Daily Trust.
The letter said the officials were expected to give clarification on certain issues.
The officials, it was further learnt, went with documents in respect of all allocations made to the state and local governments from the federation account from 2011-2015.
Other documents include those on funds released to KASAROMA, ministries of works, housing, transportation, agriculture and sports from 2011-2015, as well as statutory budgets of the state within the said period.
They equally faced the EFCC interrogators with details on all contracts awarded from 2011-2015.
The EFCC letter also told the accountant general to provide details of actual funds released to other ministries and agencies and actual expenditure incurred by them from 2011-2015.
Also, officials of the EFCC, who were in the state capital for about a week, had interacted with several officials of the affected agencies. They are presently interacting with local government officials.
A one-time general manager of the state housing authority was equally invited by the EFCC in respect of a case of allegedly obtaining money under false pretense and fraud.
The officer, Daily Trust learnt, was asked to come along with all relevant documentation regarding land allocated to the state by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
In addition to all the committees, a white paper drafting committee was equally constituted under the chairmanship of the former deputy governor of the state, Tukur Jikamshi, to study the findings of the transition committee which was set up earlier.
The Jikamshi committee was asked to draft a white paper, a move seen by supporters of the previous administration as one that would put the final nail on the coffin of the Shema administration.
Less than two weeks ago, the Jikamshi committee submitted its report in which ‘large scale fraud’, allegedly perpetuated by the Shema administration was revealed.
According to the report, the handing over notes from the previous government did not provide detailed analysis of expenditures on major projects in MDA’s, like education, health and environment which were purportedly used in syphoning public resources.
It said there were so many ‘bogus projects’ that have little or no impact on the people.
Some of them, according to the report, include the N8 billion new government house in Katsina; the N7 billion 510 housing units and the alleged release of N7 billion from the joint accounts of local government councils to an NGO.
The report also showed that close to N21 billion naira was allegedly misused in duplication of services by agencies that “have no proper administrative structure” which gave room for leakages, wastages and fraud.
The committee said these include the Department for Community Development where N7 billion was allegedly spent.
Others are the Inter-Governmental Liaison, Girl Child Education, Almajiri education system and SURE-P amongst others.
Additional contentious issues raised in the report include several ecological contracts running into billions of naira in which misapplication of funds were allegedly seen.
The committee cited example of a one-week workshop that allegedly gulped N40 million.
It said the seven state owned general hospitals run on a monthly overhead of N3 million; the state Ministry of Education that caters for over 300,000 students had N13 million a month to work with while handlers of the Almajiri system allegedly spend N36 million monthly.
In the eight years of the immediate past administration, the report said Katsina State received N432 billion while its 34 local government councils got N364 billion.
It, however, alleged that there was no commensurate work on ground to justify the spending due to what it described as “misapplication and duplication” of responsibilities that characterised the system.
In general, the report showed that irregularities and non-compliance with stipulated laws and procedures were the order of the day during the last administration.
While justifying the establishment of the committees, the state governor had said they were purely constituted to set the records straight so that his government will begin on a clean slate.
He challenged the immediate past administration to prove otherwise, stressing that it was the desire of the present administration to establish institutions that would outlive his tenure, assuring that he will be accountable to people.
Masari noted that it was only proper for the people to know how their funds were expended.
However, the opposition PDP had severally called for a stop to what it called “blackmail and witch hunt” embarked upon by the Masari’s administration.
Former governor Shema had through his spokesman and the state chairman of the PDP, Salisu Majigiri, chided Masari for abandoning his campaign promises.
Majigiri said he wondered how “an APC dominated committee” will find anything worthy of the past administration, noting that the numerous committees only wasted precious time.
According to him, since the EFCC is doing its job, the new administration should focus on providing services to the people.
“It is on record and on ground for all to see the legacies of the past administration in all sectors. We have numerous developmental programmes and projects that have direct bearing on the people,” he noted.
He said if not for Shema’s ingenuity, the new government would not even have a befitting government house to settle in.
He gave example of the Karkanda Stadium in Katsina as one other giant achievement of the past government.
However, the people of the state and those from outside are now watching to see how the probe will end.
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