Ganduje pledges to ensure independence for state anti-graft agency

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has pledged to ensure the independence of the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission to enable it discharge its responsibilities effectively.

Ganduje made the promise when he hosted some visiting journalists in Kano.

“We have instituted an anti-corruption bureau which is working very well. We made it independent. In fact, one of our commissioners has lost his job along with other three permanent secretaries and some directors after being indicted by the anti-graft body,’’ he said.

The governor said the state government would continue to ensure that the anti-graft agency remained independent so as to enable it discharge its duties without interference.

He commended the anti-graft commission for discharging its responsibilities as expected, promising to give it all the necessary support and cooperation to ensure effective service delivery.

He said the agency had a synergy with EFCC and ICPC in the area of training of its staff, pointing out that the EFCC recently chose Kano to launch the anti-corruption day.

According to him, the state government had established offices in all the 44 local government areas for people to lodge their complaints for diligent investigation, prosecution and recovery.

Ganduje said the decision to establish the offices was in line with the state government’s desire and resolve to decentralise its activities and ensure adequate coverage of the state.

“We enacted a law forming the due process bureau ‎and we advertise all our contracts. We are precise in our specifications of our contracts.

“Our due process is a very strong outfit that allows people to check very well. That has assisted us in trying to find best prices for our projects,’’ he said.

On inflation, Ganduje said: “We always battle with contractors to avoid reviewing the contracts. That itself is a kind of control.

“Even though sometimes it becomes inevitable even when the change is so abrupt, if you press hard, you still maintain the highest price because they will have to tap them up in order to succeed,’’ said the governor. (NAN)