Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has dismissed allegations made by former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, over alleged diversion of N2 billion from local government funds, describing them as false and baseless.
Speaking on Sunday evening during a meeting with 484 elected ward councillors at the Coronation Hall of the Government House, Governor Yusuf defended the integrity of his administration and that of his political mentor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
He said, “Everything we hoped for in this government, God has already done for us. We are all content, and no thief can be comfortable among us. As long as someone is a thief, they cannot stay here.
“We thank God that our government is clean from top to bottom. It’s a government that pays attention to every aspect of development. The funds entrusted to us have been used judiciously.
“I am surprised to hear certain comments from someone who was once brought into this government, supported, and given a powerful position to serve both the people and the administration. Today, he’s out of government and making wild claims. I heard he said this administration, which is not even two years old, has stolen ten times more than the previous government under Ganduje. I wonder—does this statement come from someone thinking rationally?
“This same individual also claimed that our leader (Jagora) demands N2 billion monthly from the governor. This N2 billion, if allocated to the local governments, would do so much good. Jagora, a man of God who has served as a federal lawmaker, two-term governor, minister, senator, and twice a presidential candidate—someone who left office with the people of Kano begging him to return—left with a clean and commendable record. He is known for integrity and careful handling of public funds. Yet, this man dared to accuse him of theft?
“Here is someone who couldn’t be found wanting for even a million naira during his service, and yet these accusations are surfacing only now that you’re no longer part of the government. I say, you are lying. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is not a thief, and the people of Kano are proud of him. You and your allies will not tarnish his name.
“If you want to criticize based on policy or performance, that’s fair. But we will not allow anyone to insult our leaders. You claim the governor was begging you for help—are you the governor’s father? Or is he your father? Did you appoint the governor, or did he appoint you? Are you the one sending requests to him, or is he begging you for favours? Clearly, something is wrong.
“The office you were given had no relation to the budget—if it did, let us know. No reasonable person would accept this behavior. I want to call on people who think this way to tread carefully. We even question whether such a person is truly from Kano, because a true Kano indigene would never stoop so low as to insult our leaders and spread falsehoods against them.”
Daily Trust reports that Governor Yusuf’s remarks come in response to recent comments attributed to Bichi, in which he reportedly accused the current administration of misappropriating public funds, claiming that Kwankwaso was receiving illicit payments from the government monthly.