The Kano State government has moved against Governor Abba Yusuf’s political godfather, Musa Kwankwaso after the state’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) invited the former governor’s nephew Musa Garba Kwankwaso for questioning regarding alleged medical contract scam.
The state government has quickly moved to block N160 million by securing a post-no-debt on an account connected to the state’s local government contract where reports of corruption have been reported.
The government said the move is an effort to retrieve N440 million linked to the medical contracts.
Investigators from the anti-corruption agency are expected to question all those accused of being part of the alleged contract scam which includes Kwankwaso’s nephew, Musa Garba Kwankwaso.
He is anticipated to respond to inquiries about Novomed Pharmaceuticals’ possible role in the contract scam.
The contract was allegedly given without proper procedures, with revelation that each local government was expected to pay roughly N9m per month, for a total monthly payment of N396m.
The alleged scam was revealed by Bello Galadanchi, a Nigerian filmmaker and content creator, who claimed that the state government ordered each of the 44 local government councils to pay roughly N10 million for the drug supply, with Novomed Pharmaceuticals receiving the exclusive contract.
Galadanchi claimed that 25 local governments have already paid the company for August: Dambatta, Warawa, Garun Mallam, Dawakin Tofa, Shanono, Doguwa, Tudun Wada, Gezawa, Ungogo, Nasarawa, Ajingi, Kumbotso, Kabo, Kura, Madobi, Bichi, Tofa, Gwarzo, Rogo, Takai, Kiru, Makoda, Bebeji, and Gabasawa.
Once the terms of the elected council chairmen expired in March,
Governor Yusuf had formed interim management committees for the local governments after the expiration of the terms of council chairmen he inherited from the APC-led government in the state.
However, the interim committees have been accused of not operating in a transparent manner.
Governor Yusuf last week stated that he was unaware of the contract and immediately initiated an immediate investigation.
The chairman of the PCACC, Muhuyi Magaji, said: “We’ve already issued invitations to about five or six individuals, including the permanent secretary of the Ministry for Local Governments, the Director of Planning, and the Director of Local Government Inspection”.
According to him, the commission also called a meeting with the state secretary, the chairman of the Local Governments Directors of Personnel Management Forum, the forum’s public relations officer, and the chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kano State.