In a curious twist of events, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) are launching separate investigations into the activities of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) and its Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado.
A letter signed by FFCC’s Deputy Director, Cybercrime and Other Related Offences, Muhtar S. Bello requested that the PCACC boss, Rimingado send the Director of Finance and Accounts to appear at its headquarters in Abuja today (Monday), 28th August 2023 for an official chat.
Dated August 8, 2023, the letter quoted the EFCC as requesting that the PCACC Director of Finance and Accounts “Should come along with the following information; Details of total funds released to your office by the Office of the Accountant General of Kano State from 2019 to 2021 fiscal year. Details of total funds released to your office by the Kano State Ministry of Local Government from 2019 to 2021, including contracts executed and details of beneficiary accounts.”
In like manner, the CCB’s letter, dated August 14, said it was investigating a case of alleged violation of the code of conduct for public officers against some PCACC staff and requested the anti-corruption Commission’s chairman to furnish it with some vital documents as they relate to its activities in the last seven years.
The requested documents cover; “Certified True Copies (CTC) of detailed information on the following: All contractual undertakings by the Commission from 2016 to date” as well as “All records of recoveries, forfeiture and management of the same from 2016-date; records of all financial allocations to the Commission including donor agency funds from 2016 to date; and “Status of all the commission’s buildings across the local governments of the state.”
However, competent sources close to the Kano state Government said it is puzzling that the two federal agencies are suddenly initiating their investigations at a time the PCACC decided to reopen an inquest into alleged dollar videos involving the immediate past Governor and current National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Against the backdrop of an interim court injunction secured by former Governor Ganduje restraining the PCACC from investigating him, his family, and associates, the Kano Anti-corruption agency had recently arrested and charged a former Managing Director of Kano Agricultural Supply Company Limited (KASCO), Bala Inuwa Muhammad to court.
Already, some political commentators are insinuating that the moves by EFCC and CCB may not be unconnected with the case in which the PCACC is accusing Bala Inuwa of alleged fraud involving over N4.3 billion in less than a year during the Ganduje-led administration.
However, reacting to the latest development, the PCACC Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado explained that the Agency would fully cooperate with the two federal agencies in their ongoing investigations.
According to him; “We are cooperating with them. They requested some documents from us and we are making everything available to them.
“The commission is a transparent and accountable commission and this is not the first time we are working with other anti-graft agencies.”
