The Kano state government has given the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, not more than 24 hours to respond to its query over alleged financial misappropriation at the emirate or face possible suspension and eventual removal from office. Munir Sanusi, chief of staff to the emir, confirmed the receipt of the query issued to Emir Muhammad Sanusi II by the state government on Wednesday, saying the state government sought the response of the emir within 24 hours regarding allegations of misappropriation of N3.4 billion emirate funds.
“We received the query today (Thursday). The state government has demanded the response of His Highness within 24 hours. The council is studying the content,” he said. The State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission had in an interim report of its investigation uncovered over N3.4 billion allegedly misappropriated by the Emir. The alleged amount was said to have been misappropriated between 2014 and 2017.
The query, according to sources, was written by the office of the secretary to the state government (SSG) seeking clarification on the issues raised by the Kano anti-corruption commission which investigated the alleged misappropriation of Kano emirate Council funds under Sanusi.
The sources further added that the query was issued in line with the principle of fair hearing so that the emir could respond to the allegations raised against him by the state anti-corruption commission. It was gathered that the anti-corruption commission earlier had an informal meeting with the emir before the government decided to issue a query.
It was also gathered that the state anti-corruption commission had insisted on suspending the emir in order to carry out its investigation successfully, but the government decided to give him opportunity for fair hearing, hence the issuance of the query. Huhuonline.com also learnt that the state government had contacted the state anti-corruption commission for some clarifications on the recommendation for the suspension of the emir, a situation which led to issuance of query.
It was gathered that the emir had received the query and was expected to respond in good time. The source revealed that the emir may be suspended after responding to the query sent to him. The anti- corruption interim report raised four cardinal issues bordering on indictments, amount involved, obstruction of investigation and recommendations.
The report indicated that the Kano Emirate Council had spent over N1.4 billion in various expenditures believed to be fraudulent and un-appropriated. In addition, the Emirate Council was alleged to have spent over N1.9 billion unappropriated on seemingly personal expenditures, making the total sum of the questionable expenditures.
According to the report, the expenditures contravened the provisions of Section 120 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 8 of the Kano State Emirate Council Special Fund Law 2004. Similarly, the expenditures allegedly violated Section 314 of Penal Code as well as provisions of Section 26 of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law 2008 (as amended).
“It is also the opinion of this Commission, based on the available evidence that Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II continued to undermine the investigation through various means which include giving instruction to all officers invited for clarification to shun the commission’s invitation. The act is seriously affecting the process of our statutory responsibility and offends the provisions of Section 25 of the Commission’s enabling Law 2008 (as amended),” the report said.
The report, therefore, recommended that the principal suspect in the person of Muhammadu Sanusi II and all other suspects connected with the case be suspended, pending the final outcome of the investigations. “This is a necessary administrative disciplinary action aimed at preventing the suspects from further interfering with the commission’s investigations.
“The commission further recommends that the contract awarded to Tri-C Nigeria Limited for renovation of Babban Daki, Kofar Kudu and Gidan Sarki Dorayi should be revoked as the company belongs to one of the suspects in person of Alhaji Mannir Sanusi, (The Chief of Staff in the Emirate),” it said.
According to the report, the company failed to settle the sub-contractor, Cardinal Architecture Ltd, after being duly paid. It further recommended that appropriate authority should be put in place to oversee the affairs of the Emirate Council in line with established statutes and policies, pending the final outcome of the commission’s investigations. It also recommended that further legal action should be taken against all the suspects as soon as the final outcome of the investigations were concluded and legal advice.
