During Tuesday’s plenary session presided over by Speaker Jibril Falgore, the Kano State House of Assembly issued a directive for three state agencies – Kano State Road Traffic Agency, Kano State Primary Health Care Agency, and Kano Printing Press – to refund a total of N260 million, which the Assembly alleges was misappropriated by these entities.
Accusing the agencies of mishandling allocated funds and revenues generated, the Assembly emphasized the importance of proper financial management in all government ministries, agencies, and parastatals, warning of sanctions for non-compliance.
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Account, Mohammed Tukur, expressed dismay over financial irregularities within government agencies, citing instances where funds earmarked for COVID-19 response and social welfare initiatives were unaccounted for. Tukur also highlighted questionable expenditures, such as the allocation of N200 million for the construction of 100 pit toilets, which he described as a significant capital investment.
Furthermore, Tukur criticized the previous administration for neglecting to conduct audits of public accounts for six years, resulting in a backlog of unaudited expenditures.
In response to these findings, Majority Leader Lawan Husain proposed a motion to compel the Auditor General and Accountant General of the state to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, as well as to facilitate the recovery of misappropriated funds by the affected agencies.
