Kano Emirate Probe: CSO advises Sanusi to submit to anti-graft agency

The Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption (GLOCCOLAC), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), has appealed to the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, to submit to due process of law and Kano State anti-graft agency.

The Director-General of the organisation, Dr Nwambu Gabriel, made the call at a sensitisation workshop with the theme: `A Review on Anti-Corruption War in Nigeria’, on Monday in Abuja.

He also urged the first class traditional ruler and the emirate council to stop obstructing the investigation in the interest of transparency, accountability, justice and fair play.

Gabriel said the advice was the sequel to the Emir’s response on the query issued him by the Kano State Government on alleged misappropriation of N3.4 billion of Kano Emirate Council’s funds.

He said that the centre had been observing with a keen interest in the investigation of the emirate council over the allegation of misappropriation against the traditional ruler.

“Based on this, the state government issued the Emir a query to respond to the allegation, which he did on `A publication of This Day Newspaper titled `Sanusi Tackles Kano Anti-graft Agency over Fraud Allegations’.

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“This provided the Emir’s position on the matter which raised our curiosity to organise a press conference,’’ he explained.

Gabriel stated that the centre had scrutinised the three document reports submitted by the Kano State anti-graft Agency and came up with some submissions.

“The response of the Emir that he inherited N1.9 billion as against the claims of the anti-corruption Commission was not quite satisfactory.

“The commission said its investigation was on alleged misappropriation and questionable expenditures and not on funds left behind by late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, therefore the Emir is yet to discountenance the allegations.

“The claim that the Emir is not the Chief Accounting Officer of the Emirate and yet approves its expenditure further creates more suspicion on his role in the alleged misappropriation.

“The Emir also tried to justify the N1.4 billion spent on hotels and airline tickets as well as the N2.9 million for airtime in two years from the funds of the Emirate Council,’’ he said.

Gabriel noted that the funds were for the public belonging to the state that accommodates the larger percentage of people living below the poverty line in the country.

He added that findings by the centre on the issue of transfer of funds to companies not registered with Cooperate Affairs Commission were not addressed as the reply only stopped at the registration and not the alleged transfer.

He said the centre was also concerned and requires thorough investigation on the emir’s justification on a transfer of about N105 million into an individual’s account of the Emirate technical staff, which he said was meant for direct labour.

Gabriel said the centre also observed that the issue of CCTV Cameras was the claim of the petitioners as contained in the report but not the findings of the anti-corruption commission.

He said Sanusi was still silent on the claim of the anti-corruption agency that one Rufa’i Buhari usually changed dollars to Naira on behalf of the Emir through Bureau de Change belonging to one Jazuli Sani, who was said to have died.

Gabriel stressed that following the present administration’s stance against corruption it was pertinent that the Emir, as an international financial officer, submits himself to due process of law and Kano anti-graft agency.

He further called on Gov. Abdullahi Gaduje to ensure proper funding of the commission as well as facilitate the commission’s financial autonomy to ensure maximum efficiency.

It would be recalled that the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission in its preliminary investigation report accused the Emir of spending Kano Emirate Council’s funds indiscriminately without regards to due process and the rule of law.

The report, dated May 31, was addressed to the Secretary to the Kano State Government, led to the query the monarch replied.