N30bn Street Fencing Project: Sokoto PDP Demands ICPC, EFCC Intervention
September 22, 2024
By Bala Salihu Dawakin kudu
The People’s Democratic Party in Sokoto State has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration over the N30 billion street fencing project in Sokoto metropolis.
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The party described the project as reckless and a waste of public funds, urging an immediate probe into the financial practices of the state government.
In a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Hassan Sahabi Sanyinawal, the PDP stated its readiness to face any scrutiny regarding the activities of the immediate past administration of Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
The party stressed that the former governor, his executive council, and senior officials were prepared to appear before the state’s Commission of Inquiry whenever summoned.
The call for an EFCC investigation follows a petition by the Sokoto State government to the Commission of Inquiry over the alleged diversion of N16.1 billion in shares by the previous administration, through the state’s investment company.
Counsel to the commission, Amanzi Amanzi, revealed that the proceeds from the sale of government shares between 2018 and 2023 were allegedly unaccounted for.
In response, the PDP decried what it termed the “financial recklessness” of Governor Aliyu, accusing him of spending billions on unnecessary projects such as wire fencing in one of the states hardest hit by the nation’s economic challenges.
The party also pointed to the N1.2 billion spent on repairing 25 boreholes as another example of mismanagement.
“The people of Sokoto have not yet recovered from the N1.2 billion spent on repairing 25 boreholes, and now the governor has embarked on another wasteful project of fencing streets with an outrageous budget of N30 billion,” the statement read.
The PDP accused the governor of attempting to deflect public attention from his administration’s shortcomings by making false allegations against Senator Tambuwal and his cabinet.
The party maintained that Tambuwal’s administration was the most transparent in Sokoto’s history, as recognised by global assessment agencies.
The PDP further claimed that Governor Aliyu’s projects, such as the repair of roundabouts and archways in the Sokoto metropolis, lacked proper procurement procedures, with contracts awarded without State Executive Council approval or public tender. It also alleged that faceless contractors, chosen through patronage, were carrying out the projects.
The PDP concluded by demanding that the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission launch a full investigation into the N30 billion street fencing expenditure, arguing that it is in the interest of fairness and justice for the people of Sokoto State
