Posted by The missing N70 billion in Zamfara State government funds has been explained by ex-government officials.
The clarification was given on Thursday during a media conference in Abuja by former Commissioner of Information Ibrahim Dosara and former Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning Rabiu Garba.
They claimed that the current administration, headed by Governor Dauda Lawal, was engaging in a malicious deed and a campaign of calumny by making the allegations against former Governor Bello Matawalle.
Garba claims that the state government ordered Avic International Engineering Nig Ltd to repay N4.5 billion after it terminated the contract.
A request for a reimbursement of N4.5 billion for work that was supposedly not completed led to the termination of the company’s contract.
It is untrue that funds were dispersed in violation of legal procedure.
“They have revoked the contract illegally and it was awarded to friends and cronies of the current government,” he claimed.
Garba further claimed that the original contract price of around N25 billion had been increased following its cancellation to a whopping N50 billion.
He said that the firm has filed suit against the state government.
We shall not discuss the state’s previous administration any further.
The Contractor shall have the right to contest the termination of the Contract, which was lawfully entered into and granted to the Contractor.
It is not true that the contract was awarded unlawfully by Alhaji Bello Matawalle’s government.
The EFCC contacted the banks we dealt with and inquired about the contract we signed.
The court has halted their probe because they lack authority over matters involving state funding.
Without realizing it, those companies executed contracts on numerous projects, the former chairman of the EFCC concluded that money was siphoned off and put into private wallets.
However, he then came out and declared, “the state government diverted N70 billion to 100 private companies for my personal use.”