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Nigeria: Ex-Bauchi SSG Defends Mu'azu on Security Votes
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Daily Trust (Abuja)
3 July 2008
Posted to the web 3 July 2008
Abdulkadir Badsha Mukhtar
The N4.7 billion naira security votes spent by the immediate past administration in Bauchi State was with the approval of former Governor Adamu Muazu, former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Shu'aibu Ahmed has said.
Testifying in Bauchi yesterday before the judicial commission of inquiry probing the immediate past administration, Ahmed explained that the security votes were appropriated by the state House of Assembly and spent on security matters as approved by the former governor who was the chief security officer.
A statement by the media consultant to the commission, Malam Ibrahim Sani said the former scribe made the revelation in response to some questions put to him by the commission's lead counsel, O.I. Olorundare.
The former scribe also denied reports that there were security monies spent by the administration without being appropriated by the House of Assembly, saying that in the event of emergencies such could be spent and covered under a supplementary budget.
During the past administration in the state, he said, both the state and the local governments jointly funded security expenses. He said security monies were then given to some persons.
While agreeing that the former government used to sponsor some Muslim clerics for lesser hajj and hajj to Saudi Arabia for prayers, he said there was the tendency of wrongly classifying donations and gifts under security instead of hospitality.
The witness also agreed that the then Department of Local Government Affairs did not have capital budget, and that money was expended for its operations based on joint fund provision.
Speaking under cross-examination by the defense counsel, Ben Ogbuchi, Ahmed said security of lives and property was paramount to the government, and that such was achieved during the time of Governor Mu'azu.
He also said that contrary to some reports that over six billion naira was expended on security matters, only N4.7 billion was spent out of the N164 billion allocated to the state during Mu'azu's eight years.
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Also yesterday, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Bauchi Local Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Tela equally testified before the commission on various local government contracts to the tune of N160 million that were not executed.
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