Missing N70bn, Government inaugurates judicial commission

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina state has inaugurated an 11-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the alleged missing N70 billion during ex-governor Ibrahim Shema’s administration.

Inaugurating the commission on Monday in Katsina, Masari said that the decision become necessary because more than 90 per cent of the money were illegally taken cash by some officials of the previous administration.

The governor revealed that the officials failed to give adequate explanations on the money, hence the decision to set up the panel.

"It is not our intension to set up the commission but the previous administration refused to give us explanations on the missing funds.

"We are not investigating on how contracts were awarded but how the money was removed from government treasury illegally.

However, Masari assured that the government would give everybody a fair hearing on the matter and urged the commission to discharge its duties with fairness and justice.

The governor said that the commission, which would investigate funds missing within the last three years of the previous administration, has three months to submit its report.

Responding, the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Muhammad Suraj, assured that they would be fair and just in discharging their duties.

"We will give the accused adequate time to appear and defend themselves. We will abide by the oath we have taken.

"All we solicit is for prayers from the public to enable us to be fair to all involved,’’ he said.