News, Politics

Zamfara Governor Denies Owning 3million Dollars Hotel

Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum has denied owning a 3million dollars hotel in Lagos.

In a statement by Mr. Abdulrazaque Barkindo, Head, Media and Public Affairs of the NGF: “Gov. Abdulaziz Yari had denied any links with a $3m hotel in Lagos which some online media attributed to him and in fact sued the publications responsible for that insidious report for libel. But for want of scapegoats in its battle against the National Assembly, the EFCC continues to drag the governor’s name in the mud in a veiled effort to divert attention from the matters of the moment.”

“The NGF therefore urges the public to note that this is not about any missing funds anymore as the NGF would like to categorically emphasise that it did not, at any material time, receive any funds from the Paris London refunds on behalf of any state.”

See also  Femi Kuti Storms Egypt For AFCON

“Furthermore, the NGF would like to state that its involvement with the Paris-London Club refunds had saved the states colossal amounts of money individually and collectively because instead of the high percentages agreed upon by the individual states to their separate consultants, the NGF drew the percentages down to two per cent which was paid to the consortium.”

“Before then states had agreed to pay consultants between 10 and 30 per cent as commission for recovering the over-deductions. It is however understandable that in the absence of a fall guy, the EFCC has consistently maligned the person of the Zamfara State Governor and Chairman of the NGF, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, even when the need to so do was untenable, ridiculous and absent.”

See also  Etisalat Crisis Latest

“The acting chairman of the EFCC should look elsewhere for his “real or imagined enemies and allow Yari to face the enormous task of governing his state and leading the governors of Nigeria.”

Be that as it may, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that the sums of money were fraudulently diverted from the NGF’s bank account on the instruction of Yari.

The anti-graft agency also alleged in an affidavit filed in support of its ex party motion before the court, that the N500m was diverted to offset Yari’s personal loan obtained from the First Generation Mortgage Bank Limited.

See also  No Breastfeeding For My Kids — Cossy Orjiakor

Apart from that, the commission also alleged that the second firm, Gosh Projects Limited, utilised most of the proceeds of the alleged loot transferred to it for the purchase of building materials for Yari’s 100-room hotel project in Lagos State.