Abubakar set to probe contracts awarded by Yuguda

BAUCHI State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, has set up a 10-man committee to probe major contracts awarded and payments made by the administration of his predecessor, Isa Yuguda, from May 2007 to May 2015.

Inaugurating the committee headed by Alhaji Salihu Lukman Abubakar, yesterday at the Government House Bauchi, Abubakar said it is expected to confirm whether due process was followed in the award of the contracts.

The committee is to investigate all contracts awarded in the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), State Specialists’ Hospital, Ministry of Local Government Affairs and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Abubakar said that the committee was charged with the responsibility of probing all major financial transactions from May 2007 to May 2015. He charged them to verify the level of completion of the projects as well as establish whether they were completed, on-going or abandoned.

The governor lamented that the state was on the brink of collapse when he took over due to the extravagance and mismanagement of resources by the previous administration.

He tasked the committee to conduct a thorough forensic audit of the state and local councils’ finances, identify areas of corrupt practices and submit its report within 12 weeks.

Abubakar said: “It is disheartening to observe that this state has really retrogressed in the last few years. We used to be a reference point to some states but today we cannot even compete with some states that were created many years after us. We are however determined to restore our lost glory within the shortest time possible.”

According to him, the committee was not meant to witch-hunt anybody but to investigate and recommend appropriate measures to be taken against any breach by contractors or government officials.

In his remarks, Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Abubakar, said he was aware of the mismanagement of state resources by the immediate past administration. He asked for cooperation from all stakeholders who would be invited during investigations.

He assured the governor that they would submit a report within the stipulated time and provide needed information to enable the government make the right decision.