Nasararwa assembly indicts SSG over alleged N1bn scam

The Nasarawa state House of Assembly has indicted the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tijani Ahmed Aliyu, of N1 billion project scam allegedly perpetrated while he held sway as commissioner for education in the state.

The indictment was contained in a report presented to the assembly by its ad -hoc committee investigating the alleged N1 billion released in 2018 for the fencing and renovation of secondary schools across the state.

The committee recommended that the former commissioner of education be asked to refund over N248.5 million as inexplicable funds to the coffers of the state government.

Presenting the report at the floor of the assembly earleir, Daniel Oga Ogazi, (APC- Kokona East), chairman of the committee explained that his committee discovered that over N248.5 million was unaccounted for, by the SSG in the execution of the schools project.

Ogazi informed that Ahmed Aliu, has displayed blatant inefficiency, incompetence and ineffectiveness in the performance of his official duties.

Ogazi said: “Based on the committee’s recommendations, the total sum of N873, 233,942.60 was expended based on information from the payment voucher excluding five per cent deductions for monitoring and evaluation as payments for the completed and uncompleted projects.

“During our investigation, we summoned the commissioner for education, her principal officers and management staff, the former permanent secretary of the ministry, the former commissioner for education and now SSG, commissioner for works, his principal officers as well as the contractors that handled various works.

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“The total released contract sum was N1, 084,000,000 only, if you deduct N873, 233,942.60 from the total contract sum this will amount to N210, 766, 057.40.

“Then add five per cent monitoring and evaluation which is N37, 718, 499.19.The total sum of unaccounted funds will amount to N248, 484,556.60.”

Ogazi tasked the state government to declare a state of emergency on all the project sites to ensure its completion.

“All contractors who completed their work should be paid immediately by the ministry and all payments made to the unknown contractors should be refunded to government coffers immediately,” he added.

The Daily Times, gathered that the speaker had on March 17, constituted an ad-hoc committee to carry out thorough investigation on the alleged utilisation of the N1 billion approved for the renovation/ fencing of public secondary schools in the state.

Speaker of the assembly, Ibrahim Abdullahi, while receiving the report slated today for deliberation.