The Kwankwasiyya political movement in Kano state has countered allegations of misappropriating N1.1bn against the Deputy Governor of the state, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, saying it has documents showing the said money was released with the approval of Governor Abba Yusuf.
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The State House of Assembly has on Thursday served impeachment notice to the Deputy Governor over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
In the impeachment notice, signed by 38 out of 40 lawmakers in the assembly, Gwarzo was accused of financial impropriety during his tenure as Commissioner for Local Government and in his current role as Deputy Governor.
However, documents dated between April and June 2024 revealed a different narrative.
The official document released by the movement and sighted by our reporter showed that the controversial N1.1 billion allocation for water and drug supplies across the 44 local government councils was duly approved by the governor.
On 15 April 2024, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kano State chapter, wrote to the Ministry for Local Government requesting funds to address acute water shortages and drug supplies.
The request was endorsed by the Deputy Governor and later escalated to the Governor.
One memo to Governor Yusuf stated: “Your Excellency may wish to note that the sum of N25,000,000.00 per LGA was proposed by the 44 Local Government Interim Management Committee Chairmen under ALGON leadership to be sourced from the State/Local Government Joint Account… Grand Total N1,100,000,000.00.”
By May 14. 2024, the Deputy Governor formally requested the Governor’s approval for the release of the funds, in a memo with reference number MLG/INS/MEE/1-2 and dated 20th May 2024, stressing that the intervention would “go a long way in resolving problems of acute shortage of portable water across the 44 Local Governments as well as assisting the less privileged towards accessing qualitative drugs.”
The approval was eventually conveyed on 10 June 2024 in a letter signed by Abubakar S. Dabo, Director of Local Government Inspection, on behalf of the Commissioner.
The breakdown of the allocation was slightly adjusted to include N10 million per LGA for maintenance and repairs of boreholes and open wells, N15 million per LGA for supply of drugs and medical equipment, which sums up to N25 million per LGAS that amounts to N1.1 billion.
Kwankwasiyya leaders argue that these documents clearly demonstrate that the Deputy Governor acted within official mandate and with the Governor’s full consent, dismissing the Assembly’s allegations as politically motivated.
The impeachment proceedings come at a time of heightened political tension in Kano, following Governor Yusuf’s defection from the NNPP to the APC.
Analysts say the move against Gwarzo reflects both legal and political calculations, and is likely initiated after Gwarzo refused to defect with his principal to APC and chosed to remain in NNPP/Kwankwasiyya.
The Deputy Governor has been given two weeks to respond to the allegations.
If his defense is deemed unsatisfactory, the Assembly is expected to set up an investigative panel in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
Efforts to hear from the state government has proved abortive as the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Affair, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, promised to get back to our reporter but had not done so as at the time of filing this report.
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