The Concerned Citizens of Zamfara State (CCZS) has said that all projects carried out by a former governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, were approved in the budget while he was governor.
Reacting to a report in a national daily (not Daily Trust) that Senator Yerima allegedly mismanaged funds meant for the repair of Gusau dam, the group described the claim as baseless and unnecessary media campaign against Yerima’s personality.
The President CCZC, Abdulrahman Tumbido and secretary, Saminu Muazu, said in a statement issued in Abuja, that the allegation that N1 billion loan was taken for the repair of the dam had been discovered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to be only N500m.
The statement, however, noted that all payments listed in the ICPC allegations were approved in the 2006 budget of the state as indicated in the table presented to the court containing all information pertaining to the alleged payments.
“They presented the letter of loan approval by the bank dated October, 2006 which shows that N500 million was approved as loan by the bank for the repair of collapsed Gusau dam and N500m as overdraft to the state government.
“It is very clear that loan and overdraft are two different issues, and therefore there is nothing like N1bn loan,” the statement also read.
It said that the ICPC officials presented statement of account of Zamfara State government from the bank, where N500m was disbursed as loan and credited to its account on the October 11, 2006 and that there was nothing like N500m overdraft in that statement of account.
“The ICPC officials confirmed in their presentation to the court that the sum of N574 million was actually spent on the repair of Gusau dam. Therefore, the amount of the loan disbursed by the bank is N500m and also the amount spent on the repair of the dam was N574 million. Where then is the diversion of funds?
“Sections 120, 121, and 122 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, clearly stipulate how money is to be received by any state government and also how to spend it.
“Zamfara State government under the administration of former Governor Yerima strictly observed the provisions of the constitution,” the statement also said.
