Kano Govt Refutes N1.8bn Mismanagement Claim Against Former Head of Service
The Kano State Government has dismissed allegations that the immediate past Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa, mismanaged N1.8 billion, describing the claims as false and misleading.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, made the clarification during a Dinner and Award Night organised by the state government in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the Government House, Kano.
The clarification followed a directive by Governor Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf during the May Day celebration, where he instructed the SSG to investigate the allegation and establish the facts.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mustapha Muhammad, the controversy began after the Kano State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, alleged during the Workers’ Day event that the former Head of Service had mismanaged state funds.
However, the SSG said findings from the government’s investigation showed that the N1.8 billion in question was not misappropriated by public officials, but represented excessive deductions made from civil servants’ salaries by loan vendors.
He explained that following the governor’s directive, the SSG’s office hired a professional auditing firm to examine the state payroll system and review the accounts of affected workers during the period under investigation.
As part of the process, the state government temporarily suspended the loan scheme to enable a full review.
The audit reportedly uncovered that several loan vendors charged workers amounts far above the terms originally agreed upon.
According to Ibrahim, the private auditors established that more than N1.8 billion had been illegally collected from civil servants through the excessive charges.
Based on the findings, the Kano State Government has directed the loan vendors to refund the N1.8 billion, which will be redistributed to the affected workers.
The government said the move reflects its commitment to protecting workers’ welfare and ensuring accountability in financial transactions involving civil servants.