The former commissioner of Finance of the immediate past administration in Zamfara state , Mr. Mukhtar Shehu Idris has disputed the allegations, against Former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari describing it as a failed attempt to tarnish the image of the former governor by the present administration in the state .
Alh Mukhtar Idris who disputed the allegations in an audio note sent to News men in Gusau, said, it was a promissory note given to about 23 states in the country for reimbursement of their respective funds used in executing federal government projects in their States.
He explained that, in zamfara state, the administration of the former governor Abdulazeez Yari Abubakar, was concerned about the dilapidating condition of roads in the state which prompted the massive roads construction in zamfara state including federal roads and President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar former vice President and most minister of works Fashola have commissioned some of the roads which the state spent about N60 Billion on them and requested Federal government to refund it.
According to him, the federal government has as at that time constituted a committee to review the the states that the federal government were owing to ascertain the amount in order to reimburse them during which the Zamfara N60 Billion was reviewed to N37.4 Billion.
The former commissioner maintained that, the said amount was based on the roads approved by the federal government before the construction, but due to lack of funds to reimburse about 23 states with similar issue which the then Governor’s agreed to collect the promissory note on behalf of the States with agreement to settle the money in next three years but can’t pay all the money to control inflation because the money was over N500 Billon for the states.
The Nigerian Governors Forum and Federal government agreed on 40% as first payment, in which Zamfara has N37.4 Billion, its 40% is therefore 14.9 Billion and
the accused Director General of the Governor’s Forum was assigned to negotiate with the Debt management office and collect the funds on behalf of all the affected states and the N14.9 Billionof Zamfara was discounted to UBA Bank at N10,426,749,219.47 which was deposited to the state and Local government JAC account, UBA Bank.
Alh Mukhtar Shehu further said, the federal government promise to balance the remaining 60% in three months, so after two months 23 Governors of the state in April, 2018 again tasked the DG to collect on their behalf which the then Governor of the state who was the chairman of the Governors Forum requested the Central Bank to assist the state in collecting the note from the states at lower discount of 9% to enable the state receive reasonable amount of the money.
Zamfara State Government received N22.4 Billon which after the 9% discount times three years became N17,328,290,215.00 (remaining 60%) which was paid into the state’s FAAC account, UBA Bank. Noting the that no Kobo is Missing as the promissory notes were discounted at N10.5 and 17.3 which is equal to N27.8 Billion collected by the state government out of the N37.4 Billion and N9.6 were discounted to UBA Bank and Central Bank of Nigeria Billion. He therefore challenge the Present administration and the Commissioner of Finance to always cross check and verify their records to avoid giving false information to public in quest to gain popularity.
“We have evidences of all the correspondences between the Zamfara state government and Governors Forum; to Federal Minister of Finance and that of DG of the Governors Forum written and assigned Juliet to collect the promissory notes and “we have evidence of the promissory notes of 18 states to include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom Anambra, Benue, Ibonyi, Ekiti, Ogun, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara, Lagos Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Zamfara, Delta and Ogun collected by the Juliet and submitted to CBN for the 9% discount before they release the remaining 5 states” he said. Emphasized that, all the projects were initiated and executed by the Yari’s administration.
