The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission has arrested the Kogi State Programme Manager for the
National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, Khadijat Karibo, and
the former State Focal Person for the programmes in the state,
Adoga Ibrahim, for alleged N68m fraud.
A statement signed by the spokesperson for the commission,
Rasheedat Okoduwa, said the arrest was made possible by the
recently-launched collaboration between the National Social
Investment Office and ICPC, which was designed to root out
corruption in the Social Investment Programme.
The statement said, “A petition alleging that the erstwhile
State Focal Person and the Programme Manager had connived and
diverted large sums of money meant for payments to cooks in the
national school feeding programme in Kogi State was received by
ICPC.
“The petition alleged that the duo had perpetrated unlawful and
unethical deductions from the accounts of cooks by the use of
letters purportedly signed by them conveying their consent that a
blanket and unspecified amount be moved to 10 different business
accounts from the cooks’ accounts for sundry aggregated commodity
supplies.
“The petition further alleged that the massive fraudulent
actions were pulled off by the officials acting in concert with
some banks in the state. Preliminary findings from ICPC
investigations indicate that for the programme to aggregate food
items, the request must come from a state governor clearly stating
the names and details of suppliers to the National Coordinator of
the NHGSFP for approval.
“This approval was lacking in the case under investigation as
Ibrahim only submitted a request in September 2018 but could not
present evidence of approval, hence money was paid directly by the
programme to the cooks’ accounts.”
ICPC said further findings indicated that the Focal Person and
the State Programme Manager directed banks to place a lien on their
accounts which were complied with and thereafter had a total sum of
N40, 388,558.00 transferred from the accounts of 627 cooks to the
accounts of 10 companies out of the money meant for January 2019
feeding programme for 20 days.
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Open Defecation: Sanitation Personnel Inspect Ketare
District of Katsina State
The Director Water Supply and Sanitation Department Alhaji Sani
Mua’azu has called on communities of Ketare District in Kankara
local government area to imbibe the culture of personal and
environmental hygiene.
Alhaji Sani Mu’azu made the call when he paid an advocacy visit
to the Kanwa of Katsina District Head of Ketare Alhaji Usman Bello
Kankara in his palace.
The Director said Federal Government and UNICEF officials will
soon visit the local government to assess the level of compliance
with the open defecation policy.
He noted that communities of Hurya, London, Dandashire in Ketare
ward, Masaurari, Dantulu and Gangule in Gundawa ward, are among the
first batch of communities to be inspected by the visiting
team.
Other communities to be inspected in the next batch include
Gurbi, Kuka Sheka, Tsamiya Jino, Pawwa, and Katoge Alhaji Sani
Mu’azu stresses the need for these communities to step up their
personal and environmental hygiene to meet the certified
requirement.
According to him there are various benefits accompanying the
Open defication Free certification which will including sinking
borehole to improve access to clean and portable water and
construction of more toilets latrines in the communities.
He therefore solicits for the support and cooperation of the
Kanwa of Katsina to achieve the desired goal.
Responding, the Kanwa of Katsina Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara
while thanking the director for the advocacy visit assured support
to the cause.
Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara said at district and ward level
already a committees has been set up to ensure the success of the
open defecation free program.
The KAnwa also directed all villages and ward heads to ensure
every household has the recommended toilet facility to enjoy the
benefit accompanied with the compliance with the policy.
Similarly the monarch directed all the Imams in the district to
continue to enlighten their followers during the five daily prayers
and Jumu’at prayers on the need to desist from open defecation
noting that cleanness is next to holiness.
Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara called on people of the area to
ensure they have toilets in their houses and also to desist from
open deification in markets places, motor parks, and schools among
others.
During the visit, the District Head accompanied the director and
his entourage to inspect some of the communities in his domain.