After completing its investigations, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has handed over the six tractors it recovered from a former Senator from Bauchi state to the beneficiaries.
Investigations by the ICPC revealed that the tractors were intended to be distributed to the six beneficiary Local Government Areas of Ganjuwa, Misau, Dambam, Darazo, Warji and Ningi, in the Bauchi Central Senatorial Zone and were recovered by the Constituency Projects Tracking Group (CPTG) on 31st July 2019.
While speaking to journalists shortly after he handed over the six tractors to the LGAs on Wednesday, the ICPC Commissioner in charge of Bauchi state, Abubakar Dutsinma, said that the release of the tractors followed a directive from the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owosanoye.
He said that the Constituency Project Tracking Group was initiated in collaboration with some CSOs and the officers of the Commission in 12 states of the federation including Bauchi.
Abubakar Dutsinma said that: “In Bauchi, the group has done so much in terms of tracking Constituency projects that were given to the three Senators and some members of the House of Representatives”.
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He explained that “In the course of that Constituency tracking, we realized that tractors meant to be distributed in the Bauchi Central Senatorial Zone under the leadership of Distinguished Senator Isa Hamman Misau. He was given the money for the purchase of the tractors to be distributed to the local governments affected”.
“When the CPTG swung into action, it was discovered that the tractors were purchased, because we saw the papers from the contractors indicating that they were paid for and delivered, but unfortunately, they were not given to the people they were meant for”, he added.
The ICPC Commissioner further said that “With the intervention of the ICPC, we came up and took the tractors into our custody, we investigated it and made our report. The Senator was asked to go and refurbish the tractors because they are supposed to be in perfect condition which he did and today, my Chairman directed that we should come and give the tractors directly to the Chairmen of the affected LGAs.”
It will be recalled that the tractors are part of the 2015 constituency projects awarded through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sponsored by the then Senator representing Bauchi Senatorial Zone, Sen. Isa Hamman Misau.
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