How politicians are using civil servants to siphon public funds – Kano anti-graft agency

The Chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, has narrated how politicians are using civil servants in Kano State to siphon public funds.

The Chairman who spoke during a one-day capacity-building workshop organized by the Commission in collaboration with the office of Kano State Head of Civil Service and International Idea (ROLAC II Programme) for Kano State Civil Service Directors on Anti-Corruption said the commission has so far uncovered N18 billion siphoned by politicians in connivance with civil servants in the state.

He said, “The civil servants were caught in the middle of corrupt practice in all ground cases investigated by the commission hence the need to organize the capacity building workshop for civil servants to sensitize them not to be used by politicians to perpetrate corrupt practices.

“90 per cent of corrupt practices were perpetrated through procurement processes by politicians which is done in connivance with the civil servants.

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“We intend to sensitize the Civil Servant against being used by politicians against the law. They are caught in the middle of corrupt practices. All the ground corrupt practices the agency is investigating in Kano, civil servants are the ingredients and tools in the hands of those elements who operate at a high level.

“Again, 90 per cent of corruption cases are perpetrated through procurement services. When politicians want to steal they use procurement as cover-up.

“So we are here to sensitize them on Anti-Corruption law, public procurement and financial management laws. We are here to detail to them how to deal with the public finances of Kano state and Anti-Corruption laws and other relevant laws that will guide them on their mandates.

“We also have the local government staff here because we have a case where the politicians used local government cashiers’ accounts to siphon public funds. The cashiers volunteered to withdraw the monies, take them to bureau De Change and make returns.

“We want to warn them and caution them about the consequences of corrupt acts. Whoever is found in any case of corruption will be penalized. We are determined to impose the zero tolerance to corruption principle of state government,” he revealed.

Earlier in his remarks, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, said the immediate past administration looted the state’s treasury dry, saying, “They spent all the eight years looting the state’s money.”

Governor Yusuf who was represented by his Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, said the government would not condone corruption while urging the state civil service directors to shun all forms of corruption and embrace honesty, dedication and selfless services for the development of the state.