By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
AS former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa stands acquitted and discharged over alleged N13bn fraud case levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former governor urges the anti graft agency to investigate his successor, former Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko on the alleged missing state fund.
The PDP presidential hopeful said he left N12 billion in the state coffers stressing that ” I was amazed that the money was subsequently declared missing by successor now a Senator.”
He further claimed that Wamakko also mismanaged the sum of N1 billion from the sales of iron rod belonging to the state government” Wamakko also misappropriated N500 million meant for the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido lnstitute for Qur’anic and General Studies, Sokoto during his tenure as the governor.”
He maintained that he had every document and evidence to prove his claim against the the former governor, Senator Wamakko.
But Senator Aliyu Wamakko challenged his predecessor to come up with incontestible facts on the alleged claim by Bafarawa.
Wamakko who was reacting to the claim by Bafarawa Tuesday in a statement through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Bashir Rabe Mani said ” these allegations made by Bafarawa are baseless, unfounded and of no effect, whatsoever.
” If the allegations in anyway hold water, Bafarawa should come out clean and present the facts for the whole to see.
” I never inherited any of such bogus money after i took over the mantle of the state from Bafarawa in 2007.”
The statement further quoted Senator Wamakko as averring that, Bafarawa had at a time boasted that, he ( Wamakko) would never become the Governor of the state.
” Happily and to the utter dismay of Bafarawa, I was massively voted by the peace loving and patriotic people of the state as their Governor for two consecutive and successful tenures.
” In the same vein, i had plausibly, diligently and wonderfully performed as a two – term Governor, while i bequeathed tangible legacies to the state.
” My two administrations were really unparalleled and my legacies, projects and programmes speak for themselves, while posterity would forever write my name in gold ” Senator Wamakko, added.
Bafarawa who spoke to his supporters at his Sokoto residence on Tuesday shortly after his acquittal by a Sokoto State High Court on alleged financial crime in a N13 billion case filed against him by the EFCC, insisted that he left behind the said amount at handing over to Wamakko in 2007.
The opposition PDP stalwart also urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu to do everything humanly possible to commence investigation and recover the lost funds back to the state government.
