Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has dismissed reports that N189 billion was diverted by his government.
Spokesperson of the governor Muhammad Bello said the reports were false and should be completely disregarded.
A statement by Bello said, “Our attention has been drawn to reckless and provoking reports by some online new media about alleged diversion of N189 billion by the Sokoto State Government. The reports cited a so-called EFCC interim report on Sokoto State.
“We alert the public that these media reports are products of orchestrated efforts by political hacks to taint the reputation of Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who is a frontline aspirant for 2023 PDP Presidential ticket.
“The Government of Sokoto State has established deserved reputation as the champion of budget transparency, fiscal responsibility, and open governance. We have subscribed to the Open Government Partnership (OGP).
“It is noteworthy that in December 2020, the World Bank rated the Sokoto State as number one state in Nigeria in fiscal transparency as a recognition of Governor Tambuwal’s unflinching commitment to the implementation of the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) and for efforts to champion budgetary transparency in Nigeria.
“For this commitment, Sokoto State has received up to $34.1million as special grant from the World Bank.
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“We assure Nigerians that we are ready with all relevant documents to challenge any report from the EFCC or any other anticorruption body on the public finances of Sokoto State.
” We are confident of Governor Tambuwal’s trail-blazing legacy of fiscal responsibility and open governance. We welcome the strictest scrutiny from any Nigerian or group interested in the affairs of Sokoto State.
“In the meantime, we urge the public to disregard these malicious attacks on Governor Tambuwal and desperate efforts to derail the Tambuwal mission to offer Nigeria an open and transformative governance,” he said
