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Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III |
The Sokoto state government has absolved itself of any wrongdoing in the purchase of office/residential accommodation for the Sultanate Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The clarification was coming on the heel of rumours about the nature of approval given for the purchase of the property in Abuja.
The clarification was coming on the heel of rumours about the nature of approval given for the purchase of the property in Abuja.
A press statement issued by Malam Imam Imam, Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to that Governor Aminu Tambuwal to the effect, reads: thus
“The Sokoto State Government, CONCERNED by lack of a befitting office and residential accommodation for use by officials and members of the Sultanate Council, approved within its capital estimates of the 2016 Supplementary Budget and 2017 Budget, the sum of N200 million and N500 million respectively, provision and furnishing of sultanate council office and residence in Abuja.
“The items are on Pages 11 and 362 of the approved budget documents with Sub Head Numbers 467/131, which was passed by the Sokoto State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal on Friday, February 10, 2017.
“Furthermore, the Sokoto State Executive Council, the highest decision-making body in the state, via a resolution of the EXCO with number CC (2016) 5R of Wednesday, December 28, 2016, approved the purchase of the office and residential accommodation in Abuja.
“Thereafter, the Office of the Secretary of State Government received three offers from different Estate Developers, which were vetted and assessed by the Ministry of Works and the State Due Process Office.
“Following adherence to laid down procedure, the process of acquiring the property was set in motion upon which some elements are now trying to make political capital out of it.
The Statement insists that all laid down legal and administrative procedure has been followed in the execution of the matter, stressing that the Sultanate Council and its officials are important component of the life of Sokoto State.
It also said the project’s funding is taken care of by extant provisions of the laws of state and executed primarily from revenue sources accruing to the State and Local Government Councils, adding that providing a befitting office and residential accommodation to its officials will further strengthen the work that officials of the Sultanate Council are carrying out in Abuja.
According to the statement, the present situation where officials pay huge sums of money to stay in hotels is economically unsustainable in the long run and urged the media as well as other members of the public to discountenance rumour mongers by always verifying news stories from authorized channels.
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