The Sokoto State Judicial Commission of Inquiry resumed its meeting on Tuesday and began an inquiry into 16.1 billion naira in unexplained shares sold by the administration of former state Governor Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
During a briefing for journalists shortly after the adjournment, the counsel to the commission, Amanzi Amanzi, stated that the permanent secretary of political affairs, Alhaji Abdullahi Yabo, who works for the secretary to the state government, had signed and given the commission a memo to that effect.
He claims that the shares were transferred to Sokoto Investment Company Limited via letter by state accountant general Umar B. Ahmed Tambuwal.
Barrister Amanzi went on to say that although the shares were sold, there was no evidence of the proceeds, some of which he said were paid to corporate and private accounts.
Tuesday, Alhaji, one of the complainants at the commission.
Evergreen Schools’ owner, Ibrahim Aliyu, informed the commission that he had received a warning requesting that he stop developing the plots he had bought from certain people prior to the state’s 2023 governor’s race.
Ibrahim Aliyu’s complaint is one of seven that the commission has received from people regarding the plot distribution at the new Sokoto city by the previous administration.
“I have been informed by land speculators that the current administration intends to revoke the plots.
Additionally, I have learnt that the plots are divided into two categories: those allotted prior to the 2023 election and those allocated towards the end of the Tambuwal administration following the election,” states Aliyu.
“I have already purchased gravel, sand and other building materials, only to receive a stop notice from the state ministry of lands and housing,” Aliyu says.
“The commission should look into my complaint with a view to doing justice.”
Remember that following the 2023 gubernatorial election, all land plots allotted by the administration of former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal were revoked by Governor Ahmed Aliyu immediately after taking office in May 2023.
The Governor pledged that a comprehensive examination of the allottee would be conducted soon to guarantee that politics and nepotism do not play a role in the allotment of the aforementioned properties.
In Essence
The investigation into the alleged N16.1 billion in undeclared shares under former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s administration raises serious accountability concerns.
The Sokoto State Judicial Commission of Inquiry’s move to probe the sale of these shares, reportedly with no clear trace of proceeds, points to potential financial mismanagement or corruption.
The fact that some payments were allegedly diverted to corporate and private accounts further complicates the case, suggesting there may be deeper irregularities in the handling of state assets.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s decision to revoke land allocations made by the Tambuwal administration and launch a review of these allotments indicates his commitment to tackling perceived irregularities.
However, it also reflects the political nature of governance transitions in Nigeria, where new administrations often scrutinize the actions of their predecessors.
In the case of the land allocation, the complaints from citizens like Ibrahim Aliyu, who had invested in properties, underscore the real-world impact of such decisions.
The revocation of plots based on when they were allocated before or after the 2023 elections suggests that there may have been a rush to allocate land before the end of Tambuwal’s term, potentially for political reasons.
