Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has decried what he termed as potentiality of grand and petty corruption in the 44 local governments in the state.

Mr Yusuf said, “The government noticed with dismay the potentiality of both grand and petty corruption at the grass-roots level. This is realised as a result of this administration’s effort to give the local government councils full access to their funds even before the apex court’s intervention.” 

He made the remark on Saturday while declaring open a two-day workshop organised for workers of the 44 local governments in Dawakin Kudu area of the state.

Mr Yusuf said his administration would continue to introduce more measures to combat corruption in the state.

The governor said, “We shall also continue to introduce more measures aimed at checkmating corruption and will continue to support the state Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, the organisers of this programme. This is in the bid to achieve its mandate through enhanced financing and oversight monitoring while maintaining our non-interference policy for optimum performance. I will also use this opportunity to commend other stakeholders in the anti-corruption community in Nigeria, both state and non-state actors such as the EFCC and ICPC, among others. This is for supporting our anti-corruption efforts which stand tall among all the sub-national initiatives in the country.’’

He said the workshop was aimed at sensitising the participants to be fully abreast with their hopes and aspirations towards ensuring transparency, accountability and inclusiveness in governance.

Mr Yusuf said, “This is to bring on board the participants into our administration’s principles of good governance that has always enabled us to come up with meaningful projects in our effort to restore our dear state to its past glory.”

He said this underscored the importance his administration attached to the fight against corruption and more importantly to the transparency and accountability in governance.

Mr Yusuf said, “Our government is based on the foundation of transparency and accountability as well as the entrenchment of the rule of law in our society. This is taking into cognisance the Supreme Court’s verdict relating to local government administration in the country. And as a true believer of the rule of law, the Kano State Government under my leadership dissolved the 44 Local Governments Interim Management Committees. We made the civil servants who are strategically and statutorily positioned to fill any vacuum in governance to now oversee the affairs of the LGCs. This is while preparations are in the top gear to fill in the occasional absence of the public officers as a result of the court’s judgement through democratic means.”

In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the commission, Muhuyi Rimin-Gado, said the workshop was held based on the directives of the governor.

Mr Rimin-Gado said the event was a follow-up to the directives of the governor from the previous seminar which was also held at Dawakin Kudu.

He also explained that the programme was predicated on a report of the commission sent to Mr Yusuf on a certain investigation that it was directed to conduct.

(NAN)