Muhammad Kabir 
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, has called for investigation into the allegations of diversion of the Federal Government Palliative Rice by Kano State Government Officials. The party called for an immediate formation of an Independent Investigation into the matter and the urgent prosecution of the culprits. The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Shehu Sagagi, was allegedly fingered behind the alleged diversion of the Branded Rice, but he strongly denied the allegations, insisting that what he had in his Islamic School was rice he purchased with his money and some were donated to him by some people for the daily feedings of the students. However, the APC Chairman in Kano, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, said they were piqued by the recurring incidents of alleged diversion of palliatives by officials of the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) government in Kano and called for an independent investigation and prosecution of the culprits or else the party would take legal action against the government.
The APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, said, yesterday in a statement that, “these recurring negative events, have asserted NNPP government’s failure to take necessary action against its officials found to be involved in the diversion of the palliatives. It then might be interpreted as acts being perpetrated with its tacit support.” He said: “It was unfortunate that last week, hundreds of bags of rice labeled “Federal Government Food Security Program” were discovered at a private school, Wada Sagagi Islamic School, owned by the Chief Staff, Government House, Kano, Shehu Wada Sagagi.” Abbas insisted that, “no convincing argument was put forward by Sagagi as to how the bags of rice, which formed part of the grains donated to the Kano State government to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal among the poor and vulnerable residents were found in his private residence turned Islamiyya school.” The Chairman, stated that, “in December, last year, one Tasiu Al’amin-Roba, allegedly working for the Secretary to the State Government; Baffa Abdullahi Bichi, who was identified as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Cabinet office, were arrested over alleged diversion of the state’s palliatives.”
He said that the suspects were found repackaging the rice and maize at a warehouse located at Sharada, and were subsequently arrested with a promise to drag them to court. Abbas added that, “the Government of Kano State is in the habit of rebranding and repackaging of some parts of the grains they wanted to distribute, mostly to their members with the picture of the governor and logo of the NNPP.” Abbas, noted that, “in September, last year, the Managing Director of the state Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Dr. Tukur Dayyabu Minjibir, was suspended for alleged involvement in an inappropriate sale of grains belonging to the Kano State government.”
“It is therefore very important that the Kano State government should not stop at suspension or investigation. All actions taken should be concluded by prosecuting all those found to have been involved in these scandals to serve as deterrent,” he said. Abbas pointed out that recently, the President Bola Tinubu administration sent 70 trucks of fertilizer, seedlings and other inputs for free distribution to farmers in Kano, but the state government claimed the credit as if it procured the products and was said to have been sold to farmers at N5, 000 per bag. The Chairman described the actions of the NNPP government as a deliberate attempt to rubbish the effort of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in supporting the people during this trying period. “At different times, the Federal Government donated truckloads of grains to the Kano state government for distribution to the needy, but apart from symbolic official launch, these interventions have not been felt in the larger society,” the statement added.
