29th May, 2015
Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso of Kano state has left a debt of over N105 billion meant for the payment of 2,715 uncompleted projects in the state, a transition committee has said.
The Chairman of the Transition Committee and deputy governor-elect, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, disclosed this while presenting the committee’s report to the governor-elect, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
He said out of the more than N313 billion cost of the projects, the state government was able to pay N202.5 billion to contractors handling various projects.
However, Abubakar said the state government also inherited 665 projects valued at over N72 billion from the former administration of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.
“Out of the amount, the government has paid over N40 billion leaving an outstanding payment of N33.2 billion,” he said.
According to him, there is also unpaid approved vouchers of more than N20 billion at the office of the Accountant-General. “There are 7,494 recently employed civil servants whose names are yet to be on the payroll of the state government.
“These civil servants have an outstanding salaries of over N789 million,” he said.
He explained that of the N419 billion the state government received from the Federation Accounts within the last four years, it had spent N418.1 billion.
“Similarly, out of the N346.5 billion the 44 local governments received from the Federation Accounts, N346.2 billion was expended.
“By this report, it means we have very huge challenges to contend with. We need the understanding of people of Kano state as we have already started the austerity journey.”
Responding, Ganduje thanked the committee for carrying out the assignment as expected.
He said the report would serve as guidance, precautionary, a source of inspiration and determining from where the government will take off.