By EXPOSED! How Senate Principal Officer Diverted Community Borehole Project To Personal Residence
A special report by BudgIT Tracka Team has revealed how a principal officer of the 8th Senate diverted a community borehole project to his personal residence including reducing other allocations alloted as Constituency projects.
According to the report by Tracka Team, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah of Kebbi South Senatorial District diverted construction of a motorised borehole for his Zuru community to his personal use.
BlackBox Nigeria gathered that 71 motorised boreholes were highlighted by the 2016 Budget for the 71 wards in terms District for a total amount of N710m but none was constructed except the one in his residence.
Research by field officers of BudgIT also revealed that several projects provided in the 2016 Budget for the communities were also missing during investigations.
The Team visited Kebbi South Senatorial District with the hope to see a number of projects as captured by the Budget. The list of projects include;
● Complete renovation of Zuru town hall for N155m
● Supply of eight Toyota Hiace Ambulance buses for Zuru, Yauri, Dankwo/Wasagu, Shanga, Sakaba, Fakai and Ngaski for N160m
● Provision of 71 motorised boreholes in each of the 71 wards in the Senatorial District for N710M
● Provision of 41 hand pump borehole in 41 wards of Zuru/Fakai/Sakaba/Danko-Wasagu for N61.5m…none of these listed projects were seen in sight .
During community engagement with the residents, the Tracka Team learnt that only one ambulance bus had been delivered to the Yauri General Hospital while contractors are about to commence with renovation of the town hall.
It was also gathered that the motorised boreholes had started in selected wards out of the 71 billed to get the project for potable water supply.
Another shocking revelation that was made on sight was that some items that were given to the community had full label of the lawmaker stating it as gifts from his personal purse. Also, when the residents learnt that N155m was sidelined for the renovation of the town, they described it as misplaced priority.
They unanimously agreed that if such amount of money was invested in Agriculture, it will create employment for the youth in th community. The lawmaker has since been unavailable for comments as regards the diversion irregularities in projects completion.
