A Civil Society Organisation; Global Centre For
Conscious Living Against Corruption has called on Emir of Kano, HRH Sanusi II,
as an international financial officer and a responsible Nigerian to submit
himself to the due process of law and the Kano anti-graft agency.
While addressing the media on Monday 24th June, 2019 in Abuja, the Director General of Global
Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption, Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, said that Emir
Sanusi II is yet to discountenance the allegations by the Kano Anti-Graft
Agency report on alleged misappropriation and questionable expenditures
amounting to N3.4Billion.
While commending the Kano State Government as the only
State in Nigeria that has a state owned anti-graft agency, the organization called
on Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to ensure proper funding of the Commission as
well as facilitating the commission's financial autonomy to ensure maximum
efficiency in the discharge of its duties.
Excerpt is the full text of the press conference:
GLOBAL CENTRE FOR CONSCIOUS LIVING AGAINST
CORRUPTION (GLOCCOLAC)
Gentlemen of the fourth realm, good morning and
welcome to this all important briefing.
This centre has been observing with keen interest,
the recent happenings in Kano State as regards to the investigation of the Kano
Emirate Council over an alleged misappropriation of 3.4 Billion Naira under the
Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II.
The response of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi that he
inherited 1.9 billion as against the claims of the anti-corruption Commission
is not quite satisfactory. The Commission made its position very clear that its
investigation is on alleged misappropriation and questionable expenditures but
not on the funds left behind by the Late Emir of Kano Alh. Ado Bayero. The
Commission still maintains its stance. It is therefore our view that the Emir
is yet to discountenance the allegations.
The claim of
the Emir that he is not the Chief Accounting Officer of the Emirate and yet
approves its expenditure is nothing but shying away from responsibility and
further creates more suspicion on his role in the alleged misappropriation.
The issue of budget and auditing of the account,
where the anti-graft agency all provided evidence to support their claim that
the Emir, being an international financial expert failed to act in accordance
with such standard is equally yet to be discountenanced.
The anti-corruption agency in its report cited the
Financial Controller to have admitted that they approved their budget and
corroborated it with the letter from the Kano State Ministry of Planning and Budget
as well as from the Local Government Audit all pointed out that the Emirate
Council failed in making the budgetary provisions and the auditing of the
Council’s account. But the Emir’s response that they sent their budget to Kano
State Ministry for Local Government can never stand in the face of those
glaring pieces of evidence provided by the anti-graft agency.
The Emir also tried to justify the 1.4 Billion Naira
spent on hotels and airline tickets as well as the 29 Million Naira for airtime
in 2 years from the funds of the Emirate Council. These are public funds
belonging to the State that accommodates the larger percentage of people living
below the poverty line in the country.
The issue of transfer of funds to companies not
registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission is not also being addressed as
the reply only stopped at the registration but not the alleged transfers. The ties
of the said companies with some of the influential people in the Emirate were
also not addressed.
We also observed that the issue of the CCTV Cameras
was the claim of the petitioners as contained in the report but not the
findings of the anti-corruption Commission.
Another concern which requires thorough
investigation is the fact that the Emir appears to justify a transfer of about
one hundred and five million naira into individual account of the Emirate
staff, a technical staff. The Emir in his answer to the allegations failed to
mention the purpose of such transfer from public funds to a staff individual
account. No serious investigator will take this lightly especially with the
Emir's excuse that it is meant for direct labour, but failed to supply the
particulars of the alleged direct labour expenditure.
The Anti-Corruption Agency also claimed that one
Rufa’I Buhari usually change dollars to Naira on behalf of the Emir through the
Bureau de Change belonging to one Jazuli Sani (who was said to have died). The
said Rufa’I makes cash withdrawals and makes direct transfer to Jazuli’s Bureau
de Change. The Emir is still silent on
that.
On the issue of alleged obstruction of
investigation, the Emir seems to be comfortable, despite his stance against
corruption, when his aides are avoiding anti-corruption investigation. What is
the offence of the Commission in inviting whosoever is necessary in the course
of its investigation? It got to the extent that the Commission had to withdraw
its invitation with regards to certain individuals. This had further
substantiated their claim of obstruction especially on its claim against the posting
of its invitation letters on social media just to blackmail its integrity.
Consequent to the present administration's stand
against corruption, it becomes pertinent that Emir Sanusi as an international
financial officer and a responsible Nigerian we believe he is, submits himself
to the due process of law and the Kano anti-graft agency.
It is worthy of note to mention here that of the 36
states of the Federation, Kano is the only state in Nigeria that has a state
owned anti-graft agency. It becomes imperative therefore that Governor
Abdullahi Ganduje should ensure proper funding of the commission as well as
facilitating the commission's financial autonomy to ensure maximum efficiency
in the discharge of its duties.
Thank you.
Signed:
Dr. Nwambu Gabriel,
Director General,
Global Centre for Conscious Living Against
Corruption.
