Adamawa Lawmaker Drags Governor Bindow To EFCC Over N3 Billion Overdraft

From Tom Garba, Yola
An eambattled lawmaker serving a three-month suspension by the Adamawa State House of Assembly Hon. Abdulrahman Abubakar has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged “gross financial misconduct” by Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow.
Abdulrahman also called for the resignation of Governor Bindow to resign following the petition he wrote to the EFCC in Abuja.
In an interview on Friday, Abdulrahman who was removed from the chairmanship of the House Committee on Budget, Finance and Appropriation and simultaneously handed a three-month suspension, alleged that Bindow has committed acts of gross financial misconduct by collecting an overdraft of N3 billion and expending it without the approval of the House.
The aggrieved lawmaker, who said his exposure of government financial malfeasance by the executive had posed danger to his life and forced him to relocate outside the state, challenged the governor to submit himself to the scrutiny of the EFCC.
He stated that in view of the corruption charges against the governor, the only avenue opened to Bindow was to resign, stressing that the allegation of gross financial misconduct, was enough grounds for the governor’s impeachment.
“As far as I am concern I have reported him to the EFCC for him going for an overdraft of over N3 billion without the approval of the House, with the intention that if the bailout funds comes he will repay it,” he said.
But the state government, through the Commissioner for Finance, Mahmood Sali Yunusa said the bailout fund received by the state from the Central Bank of Nigeria was safe and that some categories of health workers whose screening has been concluded and would soon be paid out of it, next week.
Yunusa also dismissed the claims of government misappropriation of the bailout fund, noting that “every kobo that was received to settle the liabilities of staff is still intact”.
He said in line with the government commitment to utilize the funds for settlement of outstanding salaries and allowances owed its workers, a total of N362. 5 million has been released to clear the outstanding two months’ salaries owed the 952 staff with the Primary Health Care Development agency next week Monday.