Kano anti-graft agency recovers official vehicles from five ex-commissioners
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has recovered five official vehicles from former commissioners who resigned their positions but allegedly refused to return government properties. The Commission’s
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has recovered five official vehicles from former commissioners who resigned their positions but allegedly refused to return government properties.
The Commission’s chairman, Sa’idu Yahaya, who led the “recovery operation,” stated that the move became necessary after the officials ignored repeated formal requests and notifications from the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
The vehicles were retrieved from the following former cabinet members: Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umar (retd) –former commissioner for Internal Security; Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso –former commissioner for Youth and Sports; and Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata –former commissioner for Science and Technology.
Other affected persons included: Dr. Adamu Aliyu Kibiya –former Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs; and Hon. Nasiru Sani Garo –former commissioner for Special Projects.
The commission’s chairman (Yahaya), while briefing journalists after the exercise, disclosed that only two of the five recovered vehicles were the original units purchased by the state government.
“Investigation revealed that the official vehicles had been sold and replaced with other vehicles, which we also recovered,” Yahaya stated, adding that the commission would launch a full-scale investigation to determine if the original assets were sold to procure the replacements or if further misconduct occurred.
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The commission dismissed claims that the exercise was politically motivated, emphasising that it followed due process and secured a court order for the recovery.
Yahaya announced that the commission would sustain surveillance on public assets and not hesitate to take a similar action against any official found in breach of asset return regulations.
“Public trust depends on transparency and accountability. We are determined to strengthen both, and we will take appropriate action against anyone found mismanaging or unlawfully holding government property,” he added.
Corroborating this stand is Mohammad Tukur, a senior civil servant, who stated that no existing law permits a commissioner to retain an official vehicle after serving in the cabinet.
Tukur explained that government policy provides official vehicles to commissioners solely to enable them carry out their official duties and does not guarantee commissioners the right to keep government vehicles at the end of tenure, whether they are sacked or they resign voluntarily from office.
He, however, noted that the governor has the executive power and discretion to permit any official to retain a vehicle after leaving office.
