The Concerned Citizens of Zamfara State (CCZS) has said that all projects carried out by former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima was approved in the state’s budget while he was the governor.
Reacting to a report in a national daily (not Daily Trust) that Senator Yerima allegedly mismanaged funds meant for the repairs of Gusau dam, the organisation said the publication is baseless and unnecessary media campaign against Yerima’s personality.
The President CCZC Abdulrahman Tumbido and his Secretary Saminu Muazu said in Abuja that the allegation that N1bn loan was taken for the repairs of the dam have been discovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) officials themselves to be only N500m.
It, however, noted that all payments listed in the ICPC allegations are approved in the 2006 budget of the state as indicated in the table presented to the court containing all information pertaining to the alleged payments.
“They presented the letter of loan approval by the UBA dated October, 2006 which shows that N500million was approved as loan by the bank for the repairs of collapsed Gusau dam and N500m as overdraft to the state government. It is very clear that loan and overdraft are two different issues, and therefore there is nothing like any N1bn loan,” the statement said.
It said that the ICPC officials also presented statement of account of Zamfara State government from UBA where N500m was disbursed as loan and credited to its account on the October 11, 2006 and that there was nothing like N500m overdraft in that statement of account.
It said, “Also, the ICPC officials confirmed in their presentation to the Court that the sum of N574 million was actually spent on the repairs of Gusau dam. Therefore, the amount of the loan disbursed by the UBA is N500m and also amount spent on the repairs of the dam is N574million, then where is the diversion of funds?
“Section 120, 121, and 122 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, clearly stipulated how money is to be received by any state government and also how to spend it. Zamfara state government under the administration of former Governor Yerima strictly observed the provision of the Constitution as shown on the above table.
