Zamfara N37.4bn Promissory Notes: Group Asks EFCC to Act

By Tobi Soniyi

The Patriots for the Advancement Of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD) has asked the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrashid Bawa to arrest and prosecute a former Governor of Zamfara State Abdulazeez Yari and others for their roles in alleged diversion of N37.4 Billion Promissory Notes being the refund of the rehabilitation of Federal Government roads in Zamfara State.

The group stated that Bawa during his Senate screening had vowed to bring to book all corrupt officials without fear or favour noting that it had written several petitions to the Commission without action from the EFCC.

In a statement in Abuja, the Executive Director of the group, Dr Abdulahi Sani Shinkafi said the commission last week invited him to come forward and authenticate a petition he wrote to the EFCC in respect of the alleged diversion.

He said that having authenticated the petition, the onus is now on the EFCC to invite those mentioned in the petition for interrogation.

He expressed regret that in spite of several petitions and the conclusion of investigations by the Sokoto Zonal office of the Commission the former chairman of the commission Ibrahim Magu refused to arraign the suspects even when a prima facie case was established against them.

Shinkafi had in a petition called on the EFCC to investigate alleged fraudulent misappropriation and diversion of the N37.400,263,782:33 Billion Promissory Notes Belonging to Zamfara State as refund for federal roads projects executed by the state government Shinkafi

The said petition read in part: “The said N37,400,263,781 is a refund of the federal rehabilitated roads in Zamfara state which was issued on December 28th, 2018 with face value #14,960,105,512:93 with a maturity date: 28th December, 2020 and the 1st April 2019 with a face value of Promissory Note : #22,440,158,269:00 Promissory Note Reference FGN /PN/2019/SG/21 with Maturity Date of 1st April 2022.

“The Promissory Notes were however discounted to the United Bank for Africa (UBA) by former Governor Abdulazeez Yari ahead of the maturity dates without the approval of the State Executive Council or the resolution of the Zamfara State House Of Assembly.

“The Zamfara State government lost billions of naira after the Promissory Notes were acquired at an undisclosed discounted rate.

“In his desperate bid to cash out the N37.400,263,781 that has not matured he terminated the deal by signing up undisclosed discounted rate percentage per annum. We call for the investigation and possible prosecution of the following people for their active roles in misappropriation of the Promissory Notes belonging to the good people of Zamfara State;

“Abdulazeez Yari, former Governor of Zamfara State, Murktar Idris former Commissioner of Finance Zamfara State and a former Director of Finance Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF),

Adamu Mohammed Ahmed former Accountant General Zamfara State,

Abubakar Bello R/Doruwa former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance Zamfara State, Mrs Patience Oniha Director General Debt Management Office (DMO),

Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru Director General Nigeria Governors Forum,

Mrs Chinwe Juliet Chima, the Branch Manager United Bank for Africa (UBA) Gusau.

“The question for determination is why the hurry to cash out the money before the maturity dates? Former Governor Yari should explain what he did with the money he collected after making the state lose billions of naira as a discount.

“Why the DG and Staff of the Nigerian Governors Forum should collect the Promissory Notes on behalf of the Zamfara State government for not being staff of the state government.

“We hereby urge the commission to invite the above mentioned persons for interrogation,investigation and prosecution.”

All those mentioned in the petition remain innocent until their guilt has been proved in a competent court of law.