In efforts to review wasteful and unnecessary Government Assets, Sokoto State had set up a committee to address this, the committee on Thursday said that, “the appointees of the immediate past governor, Aminu Tambuwal, went away with no fewer than 745 government vehicles.”
The committee reviewed, it was able to recover only 32 of the vehicles, adding that 40 of them had been taken away.
Alhaji Jelani Kalgo, the committee’s chairman, presented the report of its findings to Governor Ahmed Aliyu on Thursday in the state capital.
In his statement, Kalgo said the committee discovered a government property sold for N60m but only N30m was remitted to the government coffers.
The chairman further stressed, “302 vehicles were in the possession of former commissioners, special advisers and chief executives while 443 were under the possession of local government areas.”
It was also discovered by the committee that, about 40 vehicles were released on hire to private individuals and were taken beyond the boundaries of the local government areas; some beyond the boundary of the state, while some were taken as far as Niger Republic.
“The vehicles include 6 graders, 6 payloaders, 3 rollers, 9 tippers, 4 water tankers and 2 fire service tankers, among others.
“The committee had so far retrieved 32 vehicles from former government officials, including commissioners, special advisers and other former key public holders.
“The committee however went round all the 23 local government areas in the State and found out that, 70% of the 443 vehicles there were grounded all over. While some of these vehicles were found hidden in far places at the state metropolis.’’
Kalgo laments how funds serve as hindrance to the committee to be able to delve much and recover more vehicles.
The Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aliyu appreciated the committee in their excellent work and assured them the government would study their report and take the necessary actions.
