Aminu Bello Masari, governor of Katsina state, continues insisting he “inherited” a debt of N42 billion and an empty treasury from the previous administration.
Katsina state governor, Aminu Masari
Speaking yesterday in Kafur at a reception organised in his honour, Governor Masari gave some details of the alleged economic misdemeanours of his predecessor, Ibrahim Shema-led government.
“In two years, five months, the sum of N11 billion was stolen from the coffers of local governments,” Governor Masari said, adding the sum included N6.2 billion as gratuity for local government staff, and N3.2 billion for state civil servants.
John Oyegun, national chairman of the APC, also spoke briefly on the Shema-led cabinet: “We know the level of thievery and misgovernance that took place in Katsina state, but salvation is here as Governor Masari will salvage the state”.
Masari vowed to make sure his administration fulfils the campaign promises: to restore the lost glory of the state and focus solely on peoples’ needs. He said he had ordered visits to all primary schools and health centres be made to assess their real condition, and arranged for 60 women and 40 men from each of the political ward in the state to be empowered as part of an aggressive economic empowerment program.
In late June, Governor Masari quoted the preliminary report of the transition committee as having revealed close N13 billion shortfall in Federation Allocations, N6.2 debt to pensioners at the local government levels, N15 billion in foreign debt, misappropriation of close to N7 billion belonging to local government councils, N7.1 billion of SURE- P funds, and misappropriation of SUBEB funds.
Several officials of the past government have appeared before the EFCC to answer questions pertaining to their roles in Shema’s office.
However, ex-governor Ibrahim Shema dismissed the allegations as false, aimed at tarnishing his hard-earned reputation. He insists that his administration did not borrow and, therefore, left no debt for the new administration to settle. He announced that, instead, he left N3.7 billion in government coffers.
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