BY Shehu Yahaya
The National Coalition of APC 19 States Support Group Against Corruption And Corrupt Practices , has called on the Kaduna State Government to investigate the former Commissioner Ministry of Human Services and social development Hajiya Hafsat Baba over alleged corruption and mismanagement of public funds and 1,500 Red Goats meant for the participants in the adolescent Girls empowerment programme.
The group made the call at a press conference by the National Chairman Dr. Maina Gimba in Kaduna.
Dr. Gimba who is double as The Director General Anti Corruption Corps, said the calls for investigation came at a time when the Kaduna state government is taking bold steps against corruptions.
Hajiya Hafsat Baba has been accused of diverting funds meant for empowering the less previladge people in Kaduna State and using them to share with her families and associates, other allegations.
His words “Our group has followed carefully the attempt of the Kaduna state house of Assembly to that fairness and justice is done on the issue of accountability in governance in Kaduna State”
“We have conducted investigation and have gathered data on how the public funds and other useful supports properties of Kaduna state meant for the poor and orphans were diverted by the then Hon. Commissioner of Human Services And Social Development, Kaduna State, Hajiya Hafsat Baba”
Dr. Maina Gimba, explained that at risk children programme initiatives by the office of the vice president ( Yemi Osibanjo) for entrepreneur training in Which a total number of 1. 500 Red Goats for rearing was sent to the ministry through the then commissioner for onward delivery to the participant who are masses of Kaduna state but Hafsat Baba, diverted the entire 1,500 Red Goats without giving any to the participants.
“During the seven Days entrepreneur training, the then commissioner Hajiya Hafsat Baba unathically took over the contract of supply of food meant for the participants through her biological Daughter By Name Hauwa’u Baba. The commissioner equally diverted the sum of Fifteen Million Naira only ( N15,000,000,00) meant for feeding of the said Red Goats”
” Similarly the sum of Three million Naira ( 3,000,000,00) meant for the celebration on the occasion of the independent Day in 2022 that was not release in due time until in December,2022 was never remitted back to the ministry of Finance, Kaduna state as the protocols demand since the said funds were not used for the purpose in which it was released but rather the then commissioner of ministry of Human Services and social development diverted the said sum to her personal use”
” There was also a case of Data collection of Almajiri’s children from selected 16 Local government of Kaduna state in which the commissioner falsely claimed and collected the sum of three million Naira under the guise of transporting the case managers for the exercise for 21 days across the selected 16 Local government which never happened as each of the LGA transported themselves through the exercise ”
” Some Almajiri’s were shortlisted and bank account opened in their name for the purpose of paying into the shortlisted Almajiri’s Bank Account, the sum of ten Thousand Naira ( (N10,000) for the period of six months. But to our surprise and dismay, the shortlisted Almajiri’s only received two months payment and the rest of the money for four months were diverted by the Hajiya Hafsat Baba despite been released. That all the Bank Account are domicile in Keystone Bank under the supervision and control of her son by name Ahmed Mohammed Baba who also happened to be a staff of the said Bank”
On the alleged diversion of rehabilitations home by the former Commissioner, Dr. Gimba noted that “in 2019, a private rehabilitation homes were raided due to the dehumanizing nature of the said rehabilitation home. The affected rehabilitation home in Rigasa were In Hanbal Rehabilitation home and Malam Nigga rehabilitation home Rigasa all raided by the Kaduna state government and inmate were lodged at Hajj Camp, The then commissioner Hafsat Baba Applied for the sum of six million Naira ( N6,000,000,00)as allowance to the staff under her ministry who were involved in the exercise. The said ( N6,000,000,00) were released by the Kaduna state government but diverted by commissioner and was never released and paid to the staff involved in the exercise”
Speaking further, the Anti- Corruption Director, said every field work engaged by the staff of the ministry, the then commissioner Hajiya Hafsat Baba’ do compel the staff to pay some percentage of whatever few or amount gotten from the field work to her as facilitation.
The group called on the state government to immediate investigate the activities of the ministry of Human Services and social development under Hajiya Hafsat Baba, urged for prosecutions.
