Governor Mohammed Abubakar said that Bauchi state is among the states that applied for financial assistance from the Federal Government.
Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar
Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, revealed on Wednesday, August 26, that his 'zero-tolerance' for corruption, has led to the recovery of 72 vehicles and 60 generators from officials of the past administration in the state.
The governor spoke with state house correspondents after he paid a private visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) in his office.
"I was the first state governor that set up a committee with a retired Air Force General to recover property of government that were frittered away by officials of the former regime.
"In terms of vehicles, we have recovered 72 earlier taken away from the government.
"We have recovered quite a number of generators; at a point, 60 generators were bought by the former government and distributed to their friends and associates.
"I ordered for the retrieval of all these property," he said.
The governor said that in his maiden speech, he declared zero tolerance for corruption, adding that he never deviated from that course. According to him, on August 25 he became the first to sign the register containing signatures of young Nigerians supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption.
The governor said that Bauchi state is among the states that applied for financial assistance from the Federal Government. He reaffirmed that his administration inherited unpaid gratuities of N14 billion and an empty treasury, but added that the state’s finances had improved recently.
"The (state) treasury is no longer empty; this is as a result of prudent financial management of the scarce resources that we have.
"So, as it is now, we have been paying salaries as at when due and we have been running government.
"Everybody is happy including, civil servants," he said.
He further said that every memo to the governor for projects approved by him immediately got cash backing, which was not the case in the past administration.