A report has revealed how the immediate past governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje allegedly sold the state-owned cotton factory at Challawa industrial area to a family owned company and failed to remit the proceeds to government accounts.
The report, published by an online news platform Daily Nigerian, revealed that Mr Ganduje sold, the property, valued at about N750 million at a much discounted rate of N320 million.
The property was reportedly sold to Lesage General Enterprise Ltd, a company wholly owned and maintained by Mr Ganduje’s immediate family, the newspaper reported, citing court documents.
Mr Ganduje, who is the national chairman of the ruling APC, was recently dragged to court alongside his wife, son and five other persons by Kano state Government on allegations of official corruption, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust among others.
According to the charge sheet and accompanying exhibits, Mr Ganduje is accused of short-changing the state and robbing it of the property valued at N750 million but sold at a discounted rate of N320 million.
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All the four directors and the company secretary are Mr Ganduje’s children, according to the report.
The prosecution also relied on a letter from the Kano Investment Company dated September 29, 2017 in which Mr Ganduje approved the sale of the property to his family’s company without disclosure or recurse to due process.
Daily Nigerian, citing an inside source reports that even the estimated value of N750 million settled at by the prosecution was the amount claimed by a former managing director of a state-owned company managing the properties and investments of the state, Jibrilla Muhammed.
Mr Muhammed is the 5th defendant in the case.
According to the source, the actual value the property was between N1.5billion and N2billion.
The Kano State Government claimed that Mr Ganduje’s action contravened the provision of Section 311 read together with Section 79, and punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code (as amended).
But Mr Ganduje’s spokesman, Edwin Olofu, declined comment, telling the newspaper that since the matter is before the court of law, the court will determine the true situation.
Source: Daily Nigerian
