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Tuesday 3rd, February, 2009

GOV ALIYU RECEIVES REPORT OF COMMISSION OF INQUIRY

The Chief Servant and Executive Governor of Niger State, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu has assured that the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into contracts awarded in the State between 1999 and 2007 would be implemented to the letter.

Receiving the report of the Commission at Government House, Minna, Governor Aliyu announced that a committee will be set up to vet the report and produce a white-paper towards the full implementation of the report.

He also reiterated that the judicial commission was not set up to witch-hunt anybody but to set a pattern or system of governance where people will have confidence in the leadership and make the leadership responsible to the people.

He thanked members of the commission for accepting to serve and for doing a thorough job. The Governor also appreciated the effort of all the lawyers who were present throughout the commission's sittings saying they had indeed added credibility and have greatly contributed to the success of the commission.

Presenting the 10-volume report to the Governor, the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Aliyu Mohammed Maiyaki announced that 928 witnesses testified in 262 matters and the commission visited 86 project sites along with project supervisors, contractors or their representatives and consultants.

Justice Maiyaki revealed that the commission verified and recommended payment of N1,138,149,654:74k to various contractors and made recoveries totaling N10,905,128,494,331 to be accounted for by various individuals who are either retired or serving civil servants including some cases of local government council projects, where sufficient information and records to support their capital expenditures were not provided.

The Chairman enumerated some of the challenges faced by the commission to include the constitution and membership of the commission which was challenged in the High Court as well as the objections and applications praying for stay of proceedings and other applications urging the commission not to hear certain matters. Also challenging, the Chairman said, was the unceremonious absence of two members of the commission who did not continue to work with the commission.

Justice Maiyaki commended the State Government for ensuring the independence of the commission throughout its assignment. This, according to him, guaranteed the constitutional right of fair hearing of each witness and made the commission solely responsible for the report. He expressed the hope that all the recommendations would be examined and accepted by the government for implementation.

The Justice Maiyaki-led commission of inquiry was inaugurated on Friday, December 7, 2007 to investigate all aspects of contracts awarded or purported to have been awarded by the State and Local Government Councils between May 1999 and May 2007.

Bala Ibrahim Abdulkadir,

Director General