The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Thursday directed its committees on Environment and Public Finance to investigate the N1.3 billion Ecological Fund released to the state by the Federal Government.
The Speaker of the House, Alhaji Garba Rikiji, gave the directive, saying that the money was received by the former governor, Mahmuda Shinkafi, after his predecessor Alhaji Ahmad Yarima, made the request in 2006.
Rikiji said further that the fund was meant for the repairs of the Gusau-wanki Bridge which collapsed following a down pour in 2006.
He noted that because of the exigency of the repairs, the then Gov. Yarima executed the project without waiting for the Federal Government’s intervention.
He added that records had shown that Shinkafi collected the money on behalf of the state during his tenure “but could not account for it.''??
The speaker charged the two committees to ensure thorough investigation into the way and manner the fund was spent and report to the house within two weeks.
Earlier, a member of the assembly,Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, had moved a motion seeking the house to investigate the utilisation of the ecological fund.
The motion which was supported by another member, Alhaji Isah Abdulmumini, was unanimously adopted after deliberations.
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