Bauchi Governor Claims His Predecessor Spent N2.3 Billion On Burial In Five Months

The Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has vowed to petition the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N2.3 billion naira which the immediate past governor, Mohammad Abubakar, spent on funeral materials and burials between January and May.

The Spokesperson to the governor, Ladan Salihu, told newsmen, on Sunday that the figure was contained in the handover note passed down to the transition committee in May.

Ladan Salihu explained that over N900 million of the money was spent in buying white cloth materials used for wrapping dead bodies while over N1.4 billion was used to buy the wood for lacing the graves for the burial.

According to him, the government discovered various issues of corruption, venality, daylight robbery of the commonwealth of Bauchi State where billions of Naira were siphoned illegally. He said:

“How could you imagine that a state governor, between January and the time of elections, spent N2.3 billion on funeral materials (clothes, robes, and woods).

“The immediate past government said they spent this amount, but the same government could not spend a quarter of that amount on our hospitals and clinics.

“We will recover every kobo spent illegally by the immediate past administration. These monies are public funds. We can’t allow individuals to hold us to ransom.

“These monies are not their inheritance; they belong to the people.”

He assured that government would petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and other relevant agencies to probe any individual who was suspected to be in a position of public funds and assets.

However, the spokesperson of the former governor, Ali Ali, while dismissing the allegation as “laughable,” said he was not aware of such spending, but assured that he would make findings and respond to the allegation.