Nasarawa assembly demands SSG’s sack over N1bn contract

The Nasarawa state House of Assembly has requested Governor Abdullahi Sule to sack the Secretary to the Government of the State (SSG), Alhaji Aliyu Tijani, over his role in the school renovation/fencing contract scam when he was commissioner for education.

Speaker of the House, Ibrahim Balarabe, made the request on Tuesday in Lafia, after the House had deliberated on a report of an ad-hoc committee which investigated the alleged usage of the N1 billion approved in 2018 for the fencing and renovation of secondary schools in the state.

The action followed the adoption of a motion moved by Mohammed Alkali (APC/ Lafia North) and seconded by Ibrahim Muluku (APC/ Nasarawa Eggon East).

After intensive deliberation of the motion, the speaker directed SSG to refund over N248.5 million unaccounted funds to the coffers of the state government.

According to the speaker, based on the committee’s  recommendations, the sum of N873, 233,942.60 was expended based excluding five per cent deductions for monitoring and evaluation as payments for the completed and uncompleted  projects,

“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,” he said.

Batatabe, explained that the SSG, has displayed blatant inefficiency, incompetence and ineffectiveness in the performance of his official duties and as such should be dealt with.

“Based on the resolution of the House, Governor Abdullahi Sule should relieve the SSG, Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Tijani of his appointment.

“I will request the clerk to communicate the House’s resolution to His Excellency, Gov Abdullahi Sule for his  immediate action, ” he said.

The speaker called on Gov. Sule, to as a matter of urgency work on the House’s resolution in the interest of peace in the state

Balarabe also urged the government to declare a state of emergency on all 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.

“Funds should be released to contractors who have the capacity and ability to carry out the work, “he said.

He also directed contractors who collected money and refused to carry out the renovation/fencing to do so within one month or face the consequences.

The speaker urged the ministry of education to carry out on the spot assessment of all uncompleted projects to see the level of work done and to make funds available for the completion of same in the interest of development. 

It would be recalled that on March 17, the speaker constituted an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged use of the N1billion approved for the renovation/ fencing of public secondary schools in the state.