Katsina Closed 232 Bank Accounts Inherited from PDP, Recovers N4bn, Says Commissioner

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Government has announced the closure of 232 bank accounts inherited from the previous administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 and recovered a whooping sum of N4 billion.

The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Faruk Lawal Jobe, disclosed this to journalists shortly after he declared his ambition to contest for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

Some youths under the auspices of Nigerian Youths Congress met with Jobe, where they gave him a letter, urging him to join the 2023 governorship race over what they termed his economic-driven strategies that are enhancing the revenue generation of the state.

Jobe said the Ibrahim Shema-led PDP administration officially handed over 29 accounts to Governor Aminu Bello Masari in 2015 but after a thorough investigation, additional 232 accounts were found and balances accrued to the accounts was N4 billion.

He added that the state government closed the accounts and the balances were mopped up and transferred to the consolidated revenue fund account of the government for developmental projects in the state.

He said: “My first assignment when I came as special adviser to the governor on Banking and Finance, I had to close 232 bank accounts belonging to MDAs in Katsina State that were never reported to us as a government when we came on board in 2015.

“And the balances as of that time accruing to these 232 accounts was in the excess of N4 billion. No report of these funds as of that time we were handed over. The official document handed over to this administration in 2015 submitted officially 29 accounts.”

He added that as a special adviser on Banking and Finance, he was able to block a lot of leakages, cut down costs and initiate a transparent and accountable means of revenue generation for the state.

He, however, said if elected as governor of the state in 2023, he will embark on youths empowerment and skill acquisition programmes that would tackle youths restiveness and unemployment in the state.