Leadership (Abuja)
Babagida Kakaki
22 October 2007
Despite efforts by previous and present governments to stamp out corruption and brazen looting of public funds, some public office holders not only indulge in such crimes but are allowed to hold public office with impunity, and with the suspicious silence of the anti-graft agencies.
According to LEADERSHIP sources, the gross looting of Danja local government council treasury in the last eight years was at its worst under Sani Dabai Danja. In fact, one petitioner once termed it 'the most atrocious and crazy'. It is amazing that, Dabai, in spite of petitions of gross abuse of office dangling on his neck, is currently a federal legislator, representing Danja/Bakori federal constituency, albeit under controversial circumstances, because his mandate is been strongly challenged in an election petitions tribunal. Danja ruled the Local Government Area like the village for the past eight years and impoverished it to the point of despair", former inspector of education, Kashim Ibrahim Danja said in a chat with newsmen.
Impeccable sources told LEADERSHIP that, for the more than four billion naira received from the federation Account in the last 8 years, a project worth N200 million can not be found anywhere in the whole of the area. It is against this background that some good and patriotic persons petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as the Code of Conduct Bureau. He categorised it into three sub headings, inflation of contracts, embezzlements, outright stealing, fake purchases, and mismanagement.
In a petition addressed to ICPC chairman since June 5, 2006, copied to the then governor, Yar'Adua, Speaker, Katsina State House of Assembly, Police Commissioner, SSS Director, Auditor General for Local Governments, as well as the permanent secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, copies of which were made available to LEADERSHIP. Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Danja alleged that, Sani Dabai Danja only constructed a front gate and sixty stores at Danja market at the cost of 45 million naira, which is grossly inflated, because two of his predecessors had saved funds for the projects, while the electricity project of Dabai village just eight kilometers from Danja town cost 33 million naira, in spite of the village wiring being completed many years ago by the state government.
The petition reads in part: "The most dubious one was a claim that 90 boreholes were constructed all over the local government, while in fact not a single borehole was constructed throughout his tenure. Another amazing thing is that there was no contract either big or small that received the approval of the local council. ...Some transformers were claimed to have been bought in villages like Jiba, Dan Maigauta and Bazanga, while no single one was installed and the areas are still wallowing in total darkness to date."
Over the same issue of contract inflation, Sani Dabai claimed to have carpeted a village mosque to the tune of 673,990 naira, while construction of the whole mosque, its carpeting and everything should not exceed 100,000 naira.
On the allegation of embezzlement, Danja said, there was one area Dabai excelled during his tenure as Chairman and that was giving out bribes to people in form of bicycles, motorcycles, motor cars, and even houses to party members, family members and his wives' relatives, adding that he distributed more than 40 cars, 30 motor cycles, 200 bicycles, GSM handsets to Alhaji Inuwa Na Maro, Abdu Bazanga, Dangaro Inuwa, Maigari Abdullahi, Electoral officer, Alhaji Mamman Dankaro, Ali Mai Kare, Gambon Barebari, Mohammed Gwali, among others.
Among them was a water solar system machine worth millions of naira installed in Danja town for supply of water by the state government, which Dabai allegedly stole and installed in his new house in Abuja as attested to by a councillor with whom he parted ways. Other items stolen according to the petition were stone crushing machine; a large refrigerator and an electric generator worth two million naira which he installed at his Funtua residence, apart from doors, windows, roofing sheets of demolished stores at Danja Market and many drums of coalter. He was also alleged to have stolen eight drums of coal tar bought by the state government for road repairs, having instructed his boys to load the drums in a vehicle with registration No KT 38 DJ and sold.
The petitioner said that Dabai also used ghost workers, retired staff, and even dead persons during his tenure to siphon millions of naira, among his sons, servants, and fake brothers' in the salary payment. He gave some names as follows: Musa Mai Barkono who is a retiree, Danlami Soja and Danbaba both deceased, and one Tijjani Bakori who is confirmed to be his personal servant.
Kashim Danja said, Dabai not only defrauded the local government of millions of naira to the detriment of the masses, but also played on the intelligence of many people. "Many items were falsely bought, and invoice and LPOs issued out of the store, while many had their prices inflated grossly: For instance an electric machine {master brand} had its price inflated to 7,600,000 naira with invoice number 104. KVA Perkings Generator at 1,300,000 naira bought by one Alhaji Gide and installed at the chairman's personal house.
"Fake motor spare parts at 800,657 000 naira bought by one Umar Faruk with Invoice No 636, 635, 634, while nothing like that was found in the store, but the money was collected by Head of Work, one Mansur Abdullahi. While another fake motor spare parts bought at 785,260,000 naira was claimed to have been brought into the store by one Mr Paul Anayson with Invoice No 0838 059 and LPO No 620, while nothing like that was found, and the money was colleted by the same Mansur Abdullahi", the petition said.
Other items include another fake motor spare parts claimed to be bought at 375,205, 275,000 and 784,216 naira paid to one Councillor, Lawal Bala Tatari by name with Invoice No 4265, 4266 and 4416 respectively at various times, while they had been found in the store entry.
Kashim Danja revealed that Dabai Danja openly arrogated power to himself, and acted like a god against the civil service procedure. "Today there are more than 20 vehicles grounded in Danja Local government secretariat, while about 17 are now parked at motor mechanic garages in Zaria, and the owners charged the council a lot of money for keeping them there, while many drivers are now redundant, doing nothing at the secretariat. Many of these broken down vehicles have their spare parts removed and stolen".
In a chat with the press after making available the petition, he expressed disappointment and total loss of confidence on the anti-graft agencies, notably the ICPC and EFCC, whom he described as very, very selective, bias as well as politically motivated in their operations across the country. "I am really disappointed with these so-called agencies, which are supposed to take action against this gross looting and embezzlement of public funds and trust to the detriment of the masses who are subjected to penury, squalor and culpable ignorance. I submitted these petitions since June 2006, but up to the time I am speaking with you nothing has been done about it," he added.
In his words," Even President Umaru Yar'Adua has received my series of petitions against Sani Dabai when he was a governor in Katsina state.I am an insider who knows the internal workings of the local council like the back of my hand, but he did not take any action on it. Then how do we take his crusade against corruption serious now? It is hard, indeed. I believe that we must learn to abide by the rule of law and due process. We must fight against corruption at any level no matter how low. It is the panacea to good govenance and development. Any thing short of this, would spell doom for our democracy".
He further challenged the EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct or Sani Dabai himself to charge him to court over his petitions, "if found false and untrue, adding that, if they are found to be true, then it is a shame and a burden on them to allow this kind of politician to represent the people again" he said.
When LEADERSHIP contacted him to comment on these allegations against him, Honourable Sani Dabai Danja said, he was very busy to comment on them. "You know we are very preoccupied with sittings at the National Assembly, so I can't speak with you on these issues, until later. I know this man Kashim Danja, he is such a foolish old man, who has been tormenting me ever since I was the Chairman in Danja local government area, and it seems still he does not relent. But I may talk to you soon," he retorted on phone.
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