Kano Emirate spent N4.3bn in 3yrs – Council

The Kano Emirate Council on Monday said it spent N4,314,476,542.94 since Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II became the emir about three years ago.

Addressing a press conference at the Emir’s Palace, Walin Kano and Council’s Finance Councilor, Alhaji Mahe Bashir Wali, said the council had from June 8, 2014 to April 11, 2017, spent N4,314,476,542.94 and not N6 billion as alleged, adding that the N1,893,378,927.38 was the exact amount inherited by the current emir.

Giving the breakdown of the expenditures done during Sanusi’s three years in office, Wali said out of the N1.8 billion he inherited, N152,627,723.00 was paid to Dabo Gate Company for the procurement of furniture for the palace.

“This is because after the demise of the late emir, all his belongings, including the furniture were removed and distributed to his heirs in accordance with Islamic injunction, therefore new furniture were purchased for emir Sanusi,” he said.

He added that the sum of N108 million was paid to the family of late Emir Ado Bayero by the council in respect of the late emir’s personal cars inherited by the present emir, saying following the development, the cars now belonged to the emirate council.

Wali also refuted allegation of spending N15,458,660.00 as traveling expenses, saying the amount was rather spent on construction and renovation of Fadancin Dare wing of the palace.

He said N142,800,000.00 was spent on the purchase of two Bullet Proof Vehicles as approved by the state government in a letter from the SSG’s office No SSG/S/D/A/36/TI/109 and dated 17th September 2014.

Wali said this followed an attack on the late emir by Boko Haram, noting that a sum of N154,873,000.00 was also spent on the purchase and replacement of the vehicles that were destroyed when the emir’s convoy was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents.

He however, admitted that the total of N37,054,192.06 was paid to the Airtel mobile service providers, for the emir’s mobile phone services, noting that majority of the charges were that of roaming.

“It is also on the record that after Emir Sanusi assumed office, the council reviewed the salaries and remuneration allowances of his staff which include salaries of council members, district heads and all other employees of the council. As result of the review the monthly spending on salary rose from N9.910m to N36 million,” he said.

He also said the council raised “two vouchers of N6,993,203.00 and N5,560,235.00 to Western Union being cost of Air tickets for the emir’s entourage, not the emir himself who used to pay for his ticket,” adding that, “It only spent N9,071.000.00 on chartering domestic air flight for the emir twice since he assumed office. The first was in September 2014, when the sum of N4,651.000.00 was spent on the emir’s trip to Sokoto to pay homage to the Sultan of Sokoto. And the second was in January 2015 when N9,071,000.00 was spent on his trip to the University of Benin for his installation as the Chancellor of the university. Apart from these two instances, the council has never chartered air flight for the emir.”

Wali further said it was not true that the council had purchased two Rolls Royce cars for the emir, saying the two cars were donated to him by his friends.

It would be recalled that the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had reportedly opened an investigation into allegations of ‘questionable expenditures’ by the Kano emirate council. The probe followed a petition after an online newspaper, Daily Nigerian, reported that Sanusi squandered the emirate’s funds left behind by his predecessor.