PDP accuses Katsina governor of diverting N400bn state fund

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, in Katsina, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, the State Chairman of PDP said that the over N400 billion was "misused by top government officials".

He said in spite of the huge amount that accrued into government coffers the state and its people have remained in poverty and debt.

According to him, the state received over N243 billion from the Federation Account during the period and N30 billion from the Paris Club refunds.

He said, "In spite of collecting four Tranches of debt refunds amounting to over N30 billion, the government has borrowed various sums of monies from commercial banks with double digit interest rates to the tune of N70 billion.

"The receipts, loans, internal revenue and more than N14.5 billion left in the various accounts by the last PDP administration made Katsina State one of the richest states in the country."

The chairman explained that in real terms, the monies that accrued into the government coffers stands at an average of N13 billion monthly, N464 million daily or N16.5 million every hour.

"Due to the mismanagement of our resources our people have been passing through excruciating pains and reduced to beggars in the midst of plenty.

"All sectors of the economy have been rendered barren. Our people no longer get the affordable fertilizer that enable them to farm their land and get bumper harvests.

"Fertilizer and the other agricultural assistance taken for granted during the past administration have now been heavily politicised.

"Our schools are now shadows of themselves, with no instructional materials with the absence of motivational incentives for teachers who face constant threat of sack.

"Our hospitals are now conduit pipes through which funds are now siphoned in the name of endless projects for over two years,"Majigirialleged.

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However, Alhaji Abdu Labaran, Special Assistant on Media to Governor Aminu Masari dismissed the allegations by the state PDP as spurious and urged the people to disregard them.

Labaran said that the state government has utilised all funds that accrued to it judiciously to add value to the lives of the people.

He listed some of the projects being undertaken to include the rehabilitation and upgrade of the general hospitals in Katsina, Daura, Funtua and Kankia.

"This government rehabilitated and upgraded over 100 junior and senior secondary schools across the state," he added.

Labaran said that the PDP no longer exists in the state as most of its top brass like former Speaker Yau Gwagwajo and Senator Ibrahim Ida have since decamped to APC.