Musa Garba Kwankwaso, a nephew of the former governor of Kano state and chieftain of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is a subject of an ongoing investigation into an alleged case of procurement fraud by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC).
Musa Kwankwaso is a director of a pharmaceutical company, Novomed, a company that was reportedly awarded a contract to supply drugs to the 44 local government areas of the state. The contract is alleged to have been awarded without due process and involves each of the 44 local governments paying about ₦9 million monthly, amounting to ₦396 million in total every month. The allegations first came to light when public affairs commentator, Dr. Bello Galadanchi, popular known as Dan Bello, raised an alarm about the deal and alleged that 25 local governments including Tofa, Bebeji, Dambatta, Dawakin Tofa, Doguwa, Kumbotso, Tudun Wada, Gezawa, Ungogo, Warawa, Ajingi, Kabo, Kura, Madobi, Bichi, Gwarzo, Rogo, Garun Mallam, Takai, Shanono, Kiru, Makoda, Nasarawa, and Gabasawa, have already made payments for August to the company’s account.
The chairman of the PCACC, Muhuyi Magaji, reacting to the news, said: “We’ve already issued invitations to about five or six individuals, including the permanent secretary of the Ministry for Local Governments, the Director of Planning, and the Director of Local Government Inspection”.
Magaji said some of those involved like the chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kano State, the state secretary of the association, the public relations officer of the forum, as well as the chairman of the Local Governments Directors of Personnel Management Forum have already been invited.
“We have also requested various documents from the Ministry for Local Government,” Magaji continued.
“These include pre-qualification documents submitted by all the local governments, post-qualification documents evidencing compliance with the public procurement law of the state, certificates of no objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement, and bills of quantities or submissions indicating the quantity, types, and nature of the drugs required by each local government”, he added.
Magaji said the commission was committed to uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable.
“Nobody will be spared in this investigation,” he asserted.
When asked whether Musa Garba Kwankwaso had also been summoned, Magaji said the commission would extend the invitation to him if necessary.
He said in the meantime, the commission had requested financial documents such as the company’s statement of account, “and is taking steps to secure a Post-No-Debit (PND) order on the account to prevent any potential misappropriation of funds”.
Magaji said preliminary findings suggested that certain individuals within the government might have taken undue advantage of the situation, possibly without the governor’s knowledge.
“The allegation is true, and it appears that some people connived to create a particular scenario for their own benefit. “The motive behind this will be uncovered by the commission’s investigation. This is something we take very seriously, and it will serve as a yardstick for what is to come in the future,” he said.
