N1b schools renovation contract: Nasarawa Assembly sets C’ttee to probe SSG

From Gambo Ahmed, Lafia

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has set up an adhoc committee to investigate the present Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Aliyu over N1billion secondary schools renovation contract awarded in 2018 when he was the Commissioner for Education, Science and Techology during the administration of Umaru Tanko Al-makura.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi who set up the committee when the Secretary to the state Government. (SSG), Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Tijani and the Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fati Sabo appeared before the House on alleged misappropriation of funds in the name of contract awarded for the renovation of schools across the state in 2018.
The Speaker added that their appearances was to explain their roles on the utilization of the fund on renovation of secondary schools across the state which most of the projects were later abandoned.
According to him, the invitation of the SSG and the commissioner was not to witch hunt them but to ensure that the right thing is done for the purpose of accountability and good governance. After listening to the SSG, who was a former Commissioner for Education when the contract was awarded in 2018 without completion up till this moment. It is in view of this that we are setting up an adhoc committee to investigate the projects in the interest of our children and overall development of the state.”
He continued “ The committee include the chairman and members of the House Committee on Education, Chairmen of House Committees on Finance, Public Account and Works respectively. I urged the committee to do a thorough job as it is sad and unfortunate that our children in some secondary schools are learning under the trees, “ he said.
Earlier after thorough questioning from the members, the SSG admitted that N1 billion was released in November 2018 by the state government to the ministry of education for schools renovation purposes.
His words “ Yes, the renovation work is ongoing as the contract was given in 2018 when I was a Commissioner for Education.”
On her part, the Commissioner for Education, Hajiya Fati Sabo also revealed that N84million was given to the ministry when she assumed office in 2019 to pay contractors for the same projects.
It would be recalled that the House members on March 16th summoned the former Commissioner of Education and now, the Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State (SSG), Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Tijani and Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hajiya Fati Sabo to appear before the House Tuesday 17th March over school abandoned projects awarded in 2018.