An exchange of correspondences between Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State and the speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly has revealed how the governor secretly took a loan of $81.2 from the Islamic Development Bank ostensibly for the age-old Zaria Water Project. The loan virtually vanished, most likely diverted by Governor Yero into his own pocket.
Two public transparency advocates in Kaduna noted that the Zaria Water Project has been a notorious white elephant project used by a succession of administrations in the state to siphon away public funds. “Alhaji Yero is only the latest to engage in massive corruption and embezzlement of funds using the Zaria Water Project,” one of the activists opined. “But we should confront him and say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
In a document obtained through a source at the Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the picture emerges that the Kaduna House of Assembly, on May 23, 2013, hurriedly approved Governor’s Yero’s request for permission to obtain the controversial loan. “There was little or no verification of the request, much less a thorough one,” one of the transparency advocates stated.
He added that some concerned citizens of Kaduna State had petitioned the EFCC, raising questions about the loan and the circumstances under which it was obtained and the questionable manner of its use. “We know that Governor Yero has made several withdrawals of billions of naira without any justification,” he said.
Our source at the EFCC declined to make available the names of those behind the petition. “For security reasons, I will not make available the identity of the petitioners, but can I can only make available the documents that will show in detail the corrupt practices going on.”
The petitioners, the source added, accused the governor of collecting the loan and diverting it into private businesses through a variety of fronts. “The petitions are arguing that the whole loan thing is a fraud. They argue that the project has been on for about 15 years and it is supposed to be finished this year, since the last government had paid all the monies.”
The documents indicate that Governor Yero wrote to the speaker on April 26, 2013 and got the approval on May 23, 2013.