N1bn allegation: Nasarawa Assembly orders Sule to sack SSG

TRACKING___LAFIA — NASARAWA State House of Assembly, Tuesday, ordered Gov. Abdullahi Sule to sack the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Tijani SSG over alleged embezzlement of N284. 5m school projects fund when he was a Commissioner of Education in the state.

The Speaker of the House, Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi gave the order in Lafia after the house deliberation on the report of the committee investigating the alleged N1 billion released in 2018 for the renovation /fencing of Secondary schools in the state.

The order followed a motion moved by Hon Mohammed Alkali (APC Lafia North seconded by Hon Ibrahim Muluku APC Nasarawa Eggon East).

The speaker also asked Ahmed- Tijani to refund over N248.5m as unaccounted funds to the coffer of the state government.

According to the Speaker, the former Commissioner displayed inefficiency, incompetency and ineffectiveness in the performance of his official duties.

” Based on the resolution of the House, Gov. Abdullahi Sule is hereby directed to immediately sack the SSG, Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Tijani to save the government the embarrassment. I will request the clerk to communicate the House’s resolution to Gov Abdullahi Sule for his immediate action, ” the speaker declared.

Ibrahim Abdullahi Balarabe called on Gov. Sule to as a matter of urgency work on the House’s resolution in the interest of peace in the state.

He disclosed that based on the committee’s recommendations, the total sum of N873, 233,942.60 was expended based on information from the payment Voucher (PVs) excluding 5% deductions for Monitoring and Evaluation (M $ E) as payments for the completed and uncompleted projects.

” The total released contract sum was N1, 084,000,000 Naira only, if deducted N873, 233,942.60 from the total contract sum this will amount to N210, 766, 057.40.

He also called on contractors who collected money and refused to carry out the renovation/fencing to do so within one month or face the consequences.

Earlier, Hon Mohammed Alkali (APC-Lafia North) had moved a motion for Ahmed Tijani sack as SSG.

The House unanimously adopted the committee’s reports and urged the governor to relieve the SSG of his position even as the was a decent voice vote by Hon Mohammed Okpoku (APC- Udege /Loko) against the House’s resolution ordering the governor to sack the SSG

It would be recalled that on March 17, 2020, the speaker has constituted an Ad-hoc committee to carry out thorough investigation on the alleged utilisation of the N1billion approved for the renovation/ fencing of public secondary schools in the state.

In a related development, the House also confirmed Dr Dominic Adagadzu Bako as the Director-General, Nasarawa State Bureau for Public Procurement.

The speaker directed the clerk of the House to communicate the House’s resolution to the governor for necessary action on Bako’s confirmation.