By Udesinanna Stephen
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has claimed that the Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle mismanaged N70 billion state fund, saying that the Governor is under probe.
This was made known by the Director of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Osita Nwajah at a news conference in Abuja.
According to him, the investigation has provoked the Governor to speak ill to the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Nwajah alleged that EFCC unveiled over 100 companies received some of the N70 billion loan with no proof of service rendered to Zamfara State.
EFFC said that an investigation revealed an Abuja property developer collected N6 billion on an N10 billion contract without rendering any verifiable service, and another contractor collected over N3 billion for the supply of medical equipment. Payment of N400 million out of the N3 billion was traced to a Bureau de Change operator.
According to the EFCC, one of the beneficiary firms refunded N300 million.
Meanwhile, Matawalle has responded in a letter obtained by the Nations, that the EFCC is selective in its probe of some governors saying that EFCC should also invite “officers of the Presidency and members of the Federal Executive Council.”
More so, he said, Bawa the EFCC Boss should “surrender” himself for investigation.“He (Bawa) needs to explain among others, how seized assets by the EFCC are being sold without adherence to due process,” he added.
Moving on, the EFCC, Director of Media and Publicity revealed that, the money mismanaged was sourced as a loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state, and was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts that were not executed.
“Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the commission made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers back to him through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars.
“They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara State but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollars and return to the state governor through some of his commissioners, notably the commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs.
“One of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6 billion on an N10 billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara State.
“Another contractor collected over N3 billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400 million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator. The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor.” He said, as gathered by the Nations.