Group Petitions Gov Yero Over Alleged Looting By Officials Ahead Handover

MEMBERS of a human rights group, Kaduna Human Rights Association (KHRA), have urged the outgoing Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero to checkmate the alleged last minute assets grab by senior government officials in collaboration with some civil servants in the state.

In the petition dated April 23, 2015, and signed by its Executive Director, Mallam Sadau Garba, the group also demanded the suspension of the issuance of Kaduna State statutory rights of occupancy and the freezing of the accounts of the 23 Local Council Areas.

The petition reads in part: “The information at our disposal revealed that some Kaduna State government officials are currently going into some government landed properties within the state with the sole aim of acquiring carved out plots of land to themselves and some selected individuals before the expiration of the tenure of the present regime.

“Sir, going by the provision of the Land Use Act, you are expected to superintend and to hold in trust all lands within the state and more particularly to protect and preserve public lands in the state.”

On the mismanagement of local government funds in the state, the group alleged that “the information we received regarding the operations of the 23 local council joint accounts in the state is worrisome. These local councils are presently under the control of illegal contraptions called Caretaker Committees that are not recognised by our laws, and supervised by the Ministry for Local Governments.”

They noted that “for prudent management of resources and accountability, withdrawals from their joint accounts must be suspended forthwith to enable the incoming administration to start on a good pedestal.”