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Questions linger as Sokoto government fails to account for N600 million project funds

By Abdulrasheed HAMMAD

Despite the disbursement of millions of naira for the execution of development projects, residents of Sokoto face many challenges due to poor or deteriorating infrastructure. Curiously, the state government claimed to have spent multi-million naira on non-existent projects after allegedly diverting funds to other projects


Rufai Ruwaya, a 49-year-old roadside tricycle mechanic, at Waziri Maccido Road in Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria, had just rescued an injured tricyclist, whose tricycle was damaged while trying to dodge large potholes on the road. Ruwaya expressed sadness over the incident, knowing it could happen to him as well, given his proximity to the road.

Having lived in the community for three years, Ruwaya recalled that the last time the road was repaired was during the administration of former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, between 27 August 1985 – 26 August 1993 as he heard from the residents when gravel was laid, and gutters were constructed.

Now the road is in bad shape, and he said: “It causes serious trouble for motorists.” Pointing at several potholes he said often lead to accidents, Ruwaya noted that he had lost count of the number of accidents on the road.

“People try to avoid them and end up crashing,” he said of the potholes. It was gathered that the deplorable state of the road has forced other motorcyclists to avoid it.

Muhammad Nasir, a motorcyclist, said, “It’s not just difficult for cars and bikes, it’s even hard for people on foot. We are unhappy with the state of the road, especially considering the funds they claimed to have spent on it.”

Junaidu Bunu, the community leader in Waziri Maccido, however, said there had been no recent road construction. Despite meeting with government officials in October 2023 to discuss infrastructure challenges in their community, he said no work had been done.

The dilapidated road of Waziri Maccido Road
The dilapidated road of Waziri Maccido Road

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“The road’s condition is dangerous, especially for children walking to school. During the rainy season, it turns into a river due to the lack of drainage. If a contract was awarded for this road, I have no idea who got it,” Bunu said.

N116.1 million disbursed?

The Sokoto State Government through the Ministry of Land and Housing claimed it had disbursed N116,125,834.94 out of a budgeted N150 million for the construction of Waziri Maccido Road, according to the 2023 third-quarter budget performance report. But a visit to the site reveals a dilapidated road that residents say has not seen any work done on it in the last few years. During a visit to the site,  it was observed that no construction had taken place, and residents and business owners continued to suffer from the road’s deteriorating state.

The story is the same for Ahmad Rufai Road in Wamakko LGA where Isah Muhammad, a 35-year-old furniture maker, decried what he described as “substandard work” done by the contractor, who only filled some potholes, leaving the road in worse condition.

Muhammad, who has lived in the area for a decade said, “The poor state of this road is affecting my business. There are no proper culverts, and during the rainy season, everything floods. This road is one of the busiest in Sokoto, so it should be dualised,” he said.

The furniture maker believes that a proper renovation would boost businesses and ease the movement of commuters. Residents and shop owners echoed these concerns, noting that the road’s condition worsens due to a lack of drainage, causing flooding and accidents. They called on the government to dualise the road and for proper drainage systems to be installed to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety.

The signpost of the abandoned internal revenue service
The signpost of the abandoned internal revenue service

When told the Sokoto government had paid nearly N200 million for the dualisation of Ahmad Rufai Road, Nura Aliyu, a 30-year-old motorcyclist was shocked.

“They only patched a few potholes. The road is congested, and they should have dualized it,” he said.

Officials of the state Ministry of Finance, the Director of Budget and Planning, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, and the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Survey could not account for the funds when contacted.

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The Director Budget and Planning in Sokoto State, Buhari Umar, confirmed that the budget performance report reflects funds disbursed by the government. But he clarified that the finance ministry handles payments while his office is responsible for compiling the budget report.

“Every budget item has a responsible agency. If it’s a contract, the relevant ministry or agency handles it, and finance releases the funds based on their processes. If there’s a project where money has been spent, but no work is visible, I assure you it will be investigated and reported,” he said. He said it was unacceptable for expenditures incurred to show no result on site.

Umar stated that the effectiveness of governance hinges on financial management, with both the Ministry of Finance and Budget and Planning playing key roles in approving and tracking expenditures.

“This process is the same at both state and national levels. The finance ministry disburses funds, while budget and planning consolidates and finalises the budget,” he explained.

On 17 October 2024, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Ministry of Land and Housing seeking details of the projects listed in Sokoto State Government’s Q3 2023 and Q1 2024 budget performance report.

Specifically, the FOIA request asked for details on the dualisation of Ahmad Rufai Road with N197,612,234.00 and construction of Waziri Maccido Road with NI16,125,834.94 paid.

The dilapidated road and drainage at Ahmad Rufai road
The dilapidated road and drainage at Ahmad Rufai road

Muhammad Garba, Director of Planning for the Ministry of Land and Housing confirmed that the request was received and promised to respond. He said that he was aware of the projects and confirmed that the Ministry of Land and Housing was the client ministry but clarified that the finance ministry usually made payments directly to the contractor. When asked about the contractors awarded the project, he could not provide details, stating that any discrepancies likely originated from the ministry of finance.

“We don’t handle contract funds directly. We are aware of the project and will locate the supporting documents,” Garba said.

Building and signpost at abandoned internal revenue service.
Building and signpost at abandoned internal revenue service.

In addition, the construction of an office complex for the state’s Internal Revenue Service Board has also been abandoned. The 2023 third-quarter budget performance report shows that over N300 million was paid for the construction of the new office complex. However, a visit to the site revealed an abandoned building which it was gathered had been in the same state since the tenure of a former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal.

Although there is a signpost at the site, the company’s name had faded, and the new contractor had not resumed work at the time of filing this report.

A senior official of the Internal Revenue Service who preferred anonymity, due to fear of victimization, confirmed that the project was started and abandoned during the tenure of Tambuwal, who was governor of Sokoto State from 2015-2023. He said the project was intended to be a three-story building with a planned completion time of three to four months. But the construction has yet to reach the second floor as of the time of filing this report.

“They decided to build it because the current office near Taj Bank is overcrowded, and staff struggle with space. We’re just managing, but we need a more conducive environment to work efficiently. Unfortunately, the project has stopped, and there’s nothing we can do but wait for the government to resume,” the official said.

He added that an older building, which was to be replaced by the new one, is still in use. “I recently relocated to the old building because we’ve been waiting for the new one to be completed. If they had demolished this one, you wouldn’t have found me here,” he added.

The site is now overgrown, and there are concerns about possible reptiles. The official noted that while he doesn’t know the contractor, he had seen the commissioner of finance visiting the site.

The Public Relations Officer of Sokoto State Internal Revenue Service, Saidu Muazu, said that he and the Executive Chairman do not know anything about the construction of the Internal Revenue Service office because the project is under the Ministry of Finance.

Contacted, Sirajo Ibrahim Gada, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Finance, said he would verify details from the Commissioner. However, when contacted again, he said that the commissioner had warned him not to disclose anything about the project. However, he hinted that the Director of Planning for the Ministry of Finance had better knowledge of the issue.

Faruku Garba, the Director of Planning for the Ministry of Finance, confirmed that once a budget performance report is released, it indicates that funds have been disbursed, either to contractors or supervising ministries, and evaluations have been completed. He added that payments for projects were often made directly to the responsible ministries, and if they withhold information, it is because they are the supervising agency and are aware of the contractors and valuation amounts.

“Each ministry has its files and agreements. When they submit evaluations and vouchers, we process the payments. Our role is to disburse the money. If they refuse to provide information, it’s because they don’t want you to know about it. They are the ones supervising the project,” Garba explained.

Significantly, Garba’s assertion contradicts the claim by Muhammad Garba, Director of Planning for the Ministry of Land and Housing that the finance ministry disbursed payments directly to contractors.

He further requested this reporter to send details of the projects with the promise to disclose the contractors and agencies involved. However, when contacted the following day for a response, Garba retracted his earlier promise, stating that the Commissioner of Finance had warned him not to respond to anything. Despite acknowledging that something was wrong, he declined providing further information, explaining that he did not want to get involved in the issue.

“I can’t respond to anything.  The Commissioner gave me a directive, and if you try calling him, he won’t pick up. I don’t want to get involved in these issues. Sometimes, they publish budget performance reports to show projects were completed, but in reality, nothing has been done,” he stated.

A Freedom of Information request was submitted to the Sokoto State Ministry of Finance on October 17, 2024, seeking details on the funds disbursed for projects through the Secretary to the State Government, the Ministry of Land and Housing, and Ministry of Higher Education. However, no response had been received by the time of filing this report.

Students suffer dilapidated, inadequate hostels despite multi-million-naira disbursement

Students residing at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto’s halls of residence suffer from inadequate hostel facilities, with 14 students occupying rooms designed for eight due to a lack of space and dilapidated infrastructure.

The hostel building is in poor condition, and the bathrooms and toilets are in such a decrepit state that they add to the problems faced by students who reside in Jubril Aminu Hostel, apart from their academic hurdles.  The other option, privately owned hostels, are not affordable for average students and those who live there are also battling with unstable electricity and inadequate water supply.

A student of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), who sought to remain anonymous, described the condition of Jubril Aminu Hostel as deplorable. He noted that the toilets are so bad that students prefer to use the bush to ease themselves. The student explained that overcrowding has worsened, with rooms meant for eight students now being occupied by up to 14.

“Some students even sleep in the hostel corridors because there is no space. Mosquitoes are everywhere, making students vulnerable to malaria,” he said.

Theft is also a growing concern, with several reports of stolen property, worsened by the cramped living conditions.

The student expressed frustration with the failure of the Sokoto State government to build new hostels as they had claimed to have disbursed funds for, urging them to fulfill their promise, especially since millions of naira had already been disbursed for the project.

A professor and Dean of Student Affairs at UDUS, Umar Aliyu, said the Sokoto State government has not done any hostel construction, despite Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s promise during the university’s convocation ceremony earlier last year.

The same situation applies to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU Zaria), where students live in Tafawa Balewa Hostel, which is on the verge of collapse due to infrastructure decay.Findings at ABU’s Samaru campus, coupled with interviews of students on both campuses, show that the Sokoto State government is not constructing any hostels at the university.

A law student at ABU, who does not want to be named to avoid victimisation by the authorities, confirmed that no new hostel projects were being constructed by the Sokoto State Government on campus. The student noted that ABU’s Samaru campus has two hostels: Tafawa Balewa and Ali Akilu, with Tafawa Balewa Hostel particularly in poor condition. Block A is at risk of collapse, and overcrowding has become a major issue, with rooms designed for six students now accommodating eight due to squatters.

“The situation in Tafawa Balewa Hostel is bad—the roofing and windows are in poor condition, and there are issues with electricity. Some blocks, like B and C, have electricity, but others like D and E do not. Ali Akilu Hostel is in better shape, but the windows and doors are still in bad condition,” the student said.

Tafawa Balewa hostel in ABU Zaria.
Tafawa Balewa hostel in ABU Zaria.illboard

This reporter spoke with five other students at ABU, all of whom confirmed that the Sokoto State government has not started constructing new hostels on their campus. When contacted, the Dean of Student Affairs at ABU Zaria, Sahalu Junaid, a professor, declined to comment on the matter.

Students at both universities suffer from inadequate hostels and infrastructure decay that could have been addressed if the Sokoto State government had built the promised hostels. The government claimed in its budget performance report that it paid N85 million for hostel construction at UDUS and N100 million for ABU Zaria. However, investigations revealed that no work has been done on either project. Both projects are under the supervision of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

All calls and text messages put across to the Secretary to the Sokoto State government, Bello Sifawa, to account for the funds received for the construction of student hostels in UDUS and ABU were ignored. After various attempts, he eventually picked up the call and without allowing this reporter to say anything, after introduction, he said, “Go to the Ministry of Information” and he hung up. Several calls and text messages put across to him afterwards were ignored.

A Freedom of Information Act, FOIA, request submitted to the office of the SSG on October 17, 2024, seeking details about the funds allocated for the construction of student hostels at UDUS and ABU Zaria, had not been responded to at the time of filing this report.

The Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Abubakar Bawa, reached out to this reporter afterwards and promised to give the responses with supporting documents regarding this reporter’s inquiry.

A week later, he promised to get back in the evening. The following week, another call was made to him, but he failed to pick answer. On December 23, 2024, when this reporter called him again, he said he had not received any response yet and asked the reporter to resend the details of the projects. After sending the details of the projects, several calls made to him afterwards were ignored.

How did the Sokoto government spend N90 million on 7,000 UTME forms?

In the 2023 Budget Performance Report, N100 million was budgeted for the purchase of 16,000 JAMB/DE forms, and N99,352,000 was disbursed for the project. However, state government reports claimed that only N90 million was spent to obtain 7,000 forms, raising questions about the 16,000 forms contained in the budget performance report. At the time, JAMB/DE forms were sold at N6,200 each, meaning that 7,000 forms should have cost N43,400,000. This leaves a surplus of N46,600,000 unaccounted for.

The Director of Planning for the Ministry of Higher Education, Abubakar Muhammad Gagi, confirmed that N100 million was budgeted, but when confronted with the discrepancy in the purchase of 7,000 UTME forms for 90 million, he claimed his office was not responsible for handling UTME forms.

The Director of Planning (Academic) for the Ministry of Higher Education, Zayyanu Bello Sifawa, declined to comment on how N90 million was spent on just 7,000 forms when N99,352,000 was disbursed, according to the budget performance report.

The Sokoto State Commissioner for Higher Education, Abdullahi Aminu, admitted that N90 million was disbursed for JAMB forms but added that part of the funds was used for the pre-UTME training for students across Sokoto, which took place at the Magartakada Centre. However, when asked about the N99,352,000 disbursed, he failed to respond.

The report published by the State government on its official website confirmed that only 7,000 JAMB forms were purchased for N90 million, contradicting the budget performance report, which showed a disbursement of N99,352,000 for 16,000 forms.

There is no mention of funds being allocated for training in the official budget performance nor the report released on the official website of the Sokoto State government.

Money inputted for projects in budget performance was a mistake, diverted to execute other projects— Director of Budget and Planning

Buhari Umar, the Sokoto State Director of Budget and Planning, disclosed that he had asked the finance department to bring all the payment vouchers to check correspondences for the construction of a hostel in UDUS and ABU Zaria. Upon checking the vouchers, he said that they discovered they had mistakenly copied an incorrect quote for that project. He added that the money inputted for that project was meant to execute other projects.

According to him the amount should not be attributed to those projects in the budget performance, as it was intended for other projects.

“If it is a mistake, you will know. If it is a cover-up, you will know. When we went through the state book, we noticed that in making the entries, it was wrongly copied. But this will help us improve next time. We don’t mind releasing a press statement on our website clarifying that the entries for those projects were misplaced and wrongly copied.

“That amount has been expended on other projects. There is no agenda; it is just human error. Instead of putting it under the correct line of activity, they now put it under a different one. At times, we may not even have time to cross-check. We will never allow them to do such a thing again before publication. A provision has to be made against those projects so that they will not show zero balances.”

He noted that there were discrepancies in the budget entries, where funds meant for one project were wrongly attributed to another. After reviewing the documents, it was confirmed that the expenditure was for other projects, not the one listed. He stated further that inflating the budget would cause harm to them and made it clear he could not be involved in such practices.

He added that the projects for the construction of the hostel in UDUS and ABU would still be executed but not for that particular amount, noting that the department did not do due diligence because there is a limit to how they can manoeuvre things. He placed the blame on the Ministry of Finance, as they handle the actual budget while his office only does estimates, and payments end with them.

He also stated that he was going to confirm the two projects for the dualisation of Ahmad Rufai Road and the construction of Waziri Maccido Road under the Ministry of Land and Housing subsequently.

He said the two projects under the Ministry of Land and Housing are a function of virement, which simply means that the funds meant to execute these two projects have been diverted to other projects without reflecting this on the budget performance report. He noted that the right procedure in the case of virement is to put a minus in the line of expenditure used to execute another project and add it to the project where the money was expended. He added that they had failed to do this, and that some people use this practice for their personal advantage.

“Virement is provided by law. If you want to incur expenditure but there is no provision for it, and if you have enough money for another project under your agency, you can now lift that money and use it for the other project,” he explained.

When asked to provide details of the virement documents where the funds were diverted to and after providing him with the law stating that virement is illegal according to Section 22(5) of the ICPC Act without the consent of the State House of Assembly, he stated that all his earlier statements were merely assumptions about what could happen in that circumstance and were not from the finance department. He asked that the journalist should listen to the recordings of their previous interviews again to confirm his wording.

When this reporter replayed the tape, the recording states: “I checked that yesterday with the finance people. I asked them to bring all the payment vouchers so that we could trace the correspondence. When they submitted the vouchers, they copied a wrong quote, and that amount is not for that project; it was meant for other projects. Based on your observations, which are true, I called for the vouchers.”

In another interview, he said: “By now, they will not make that mistake again. I have asked them to bring me all the virement documents (referring to finance), and we are going to trace the virements and send the documents to you.”

He promised to provide details of those projects in the last interviews before tagging his statement as a mere assumption.

As of the time of filing this report, he had not sent the virement document to show where the money was diverted.

Findings show that putting expenditure on non-existent projects amounts to budget padding which is contrary to the Public Procurement Law of Sokoto State and the Audit Law of Sokoto State. The Sokoto State Audit Law states that inflation of contracts, inflation of the price of surcharge, payment for jobs not executed, poor quality of work executed, assets paid for but not received, and failure to account for government revenue amount to offences punishable under the law, including the imposition of appropriate rates and a written warning to the affected officer, recovery from the beneficiary and the officer who recommended the payments, criminal prosecution for economic fraud, blacklisting of the contractor, calling of the advance payment guarantee, and demotion of the officer who certified the work.

Also, recovery of the money, criminal prosecution of the vendor, transfer of the officer to another schedule, a full-scale investigation, and the recovery of all such monies, criminal prosecution of the officers involved, and recommendation for dismissal as may be appropriate.



The law also states that the Auditor General shall ensure that all reasonable precautions have been taken to safeguard the collection of public monies and that the laws, directions and instructions relating to it have been duly observed and complied with all monies appropriated or otherwise disbursed have been expended on and applied for the purpose for which the grant made by the Executive Council of the State and House of Assembly were intended and that the expenditure conforms to the authority which governs it.

On 20th December 2024, this reporter spoke with the Sokoto Commissioner for Finance, Muhammad Jabbi Shagari, to respond to the whereabouts of the multi-million naira claimed to have been disbursed for the project. He said he was traveling and asked the reporter to call him back. When called again on the 24th, he said he had just lost a brother and asked to be called back.




     

     

    On December 24, when another call was made to him on the matter, he said he could not address anything. He stated that the issue of budget performance is with Budget and Planning because they have the specifications and data. The reporter reminded him that he had already reached out to them on the matter.

    “The government executes the budget, but you should call them and let me know what has been done, or we will meet together with the team and give answers. I am not in a position to speak freely because I am not really with my team. I only returned to Sokoto from Abuja on Friday, and I told you what I am facing. I never identify you,” he said, before hanging up. Several calls made to him afterward were ignored.

    This same commissioner had warned the Public Relations Officer and Director of Planning in the ministry not to give this reporter any information.

    This investigation is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting( ICIR).

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