From Nana Hafsat Adebayo, Bauchi
Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, has said that he will not waste the state’s resources to set up a committee to investigate the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, Mallam Isa Yuguda, saying that doing so will cost him a lot of money.
Speaking in Bauchi while receiving the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), who paid him a courtesy visit said that the Yuguda’s administration spent over N1billion to probe the administration of his predecessor, Alhaji Adamu Ahmadu Mu’azu, when he it came on board eight years ago, adding that such amount of money could have been used for other projects.
Abubakar, however, reiterated his commitment to do everything possible to recover any stolen fund from the immediate past government in the state without setting up any panel to probe it.
He also lamented that despite the Yuguda’s administration spending N13 billion on the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport in Bauchi, the airport still lack some facilities which should have been put in place.
Speaking on the dwindling resources accruable to the state coffers, Governor Abubakar stated that his administration is working towards improving internally generated revenue (IGR).
He added that henceforth the state government would be taxing miners operating in the state.
Earlier in his speech, the Comptroller-General of Custom, Col Hamid Ali, stated that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is vital in the country’s economic drive as it touches all sectors of the nation.
Ali said the aim of his visit to Bauchi is to meet Custom personnel in all their formations with a view to hearing their challenges and to finding a way of solving them.
He urged Custom officers to commit themselves to national services, adding that custom is poised to boost revenue accruable to the country in view of the dwindling resources coming to the coffers of the country as a result of falling oil price in the international market.
Col Ali, however, warned corrupt traders to have a rethink as Custom will deal with them decisively.