By Muhd D Haidar
Barely six months after the inauguration of the committee to investigate alleged fraud in the implementation of Covid-19 Action Recovery and Stimulation (J-CARES) through FADAMA III irrigation intervention project, the committee has submitted it’s report for further action.
Hotpen reports that, in July 2023 Governor Namadi paid unscheduled visit to various local government to asses the implementation of the multi-million naira intervention fund designed to empower farmers as well as enhanced food production but to his dismay discovered huge irregularities.
Due to the gravity of the inappropriate utilization of the allocated fund for the program, Governor Namadi vowed to investigate the matter and pledged to punish any one found guilty.
He therefore setup committee under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff, Dutse Government House, Senator Mustapha Makama Kiyawa to investigate and submit report to him.
The committee has confirmed that, hundreds million of Naira was diverted through the project.
Briefing newsmen shortly after submitting their report the chairman of the committee, Senator Mustapha Makama said, his committee in collaboration with other stakeholders includes targeted farmers have reviewed and evaluated the project implementation step by step.
Senator Kiyawa explained that the committee has discovered so many irregularities and fraud amounting to hundred millions of Naira in the implementation, while the actual project and it’s goals were totally deviated .
“In the report we submitted to Governor Umar Namadi we made suggestions and recommendation including recovering the stolen money, measures to be taken for effective and genuine implement of the project for achieving the desire goals”. Said Makama.
However in his response after receiving the report, Governor Namadi vowed to work with recommendations of the committee including recovering the stolen money.
“We are here to save Jigawa state people to make life better, any act capable of sabotaging our effort we will not hesitant to crush it, we will not tolerate breach of public trust, who ever found guilty in this report will for sure face the full wrath of the law to serve as deterrent to others” Governor Namadi stated.
It was gathered that, some of the alleged fraud committed including given ₦5,000 only to some farmers instead of drilling borehole in their farms as contained in the project.