The Kano State Emirate Council has denied the claims that it has spent about N6 billion since the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Muhammadu Sanusi, became the Emir in June 2014.
The senior council official in charge of finance in the emirate, Bashir Wali, made this known at a press conference in Kano on Monday.
Wali, who is also the Walin Kano, gave the clarifications after the Kano State anti-corruption agency opened an investigation into the accounts of the emirate council over allegations of questionable expenditures running into billions of naira over a short period of time.
The Kano emirate finance chief also provided some details of the expenditure, while stressing that Emir Sanusi inherited approximately N1.9 billion and not N4 billion from his predecessor.
“The sum of N1,893,378,927.38k was the exact amount inherited by His Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II, against the alleged claim of N4 billion,” he said.
Wali also reacted to accusations that the Emir lived a luxurious life style since ascending the throne, including flying chartered flights and cruising in bullet proof vehicles.
He said: “The council chattered an air flight only twice for His Highness for the following trips, In September 2014 to Sokoto when the emir paid a traditional homage to sultan of Sokoto after his turbaning as emir of Kano and the council spent N4,651,000.00k.
“In January 2015, to Benin for his installation as chancellor of Benin university and it cost the emirate council N9,071,000.00k.
“All the trips were made as a result of lack of schedule flights at that time to make this important and historical trips and it cost the council the sum of N13,722,000.00…
“The two bullet proof vehicles were surely purchased based on the advice and approval of the state government vide SSG’s letter No SSG/S/D/A/36/TI/109 of 17th September, 2014.”
The investigation of the Sanusi-led Kano Emirate council comes on the heels of some unsavory criticism by the Emir on leaders of the North whom he accused of having not done enough to better the lives of people of the region.
Sanusi had in recent times roundly condemned issues that were hitherto considered no go areas in the Muslim majority Northern Nigeria – such as polygamy and girl-child education.
Watchers say the powers that be may be hiding under the guise of an investigation to bring the Emir back “down to earth” as his outspoken nature is said to be getting on the nerves of some powerful Northern politicians, including the Kano State Governor, Umar Ganduje.