Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Umar Audu
Published on 2024-04-17 19:37:07
Abdulazeez Ganduje, the eldest son of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, recently made a solidarity visit to the chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Rimingado. This visit was to show support and encouragement for the chairman’s anti-corruption efforts. Abdulazeez also expressed his support for the charges filed against his own family members by the commission.
According to credible sources within the commission, Abdulazeez voiced his approval of the charges against his father, mother, and brother. Additionally, he raised a concern with the chairman about being unlawfully removed as a director of one of the companies facing trial. This removal occurred without his consent, and he shared his frustration with the situation.
In a surprising turn of events, in September 2021, Abdulazeez had actually petitioned his own mother, Hafsat Ganduje, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged corruption. In his petition, he detailed how he had been approached by a property developer to facilitate the acquisition of land in Kano with significant sums of money involved. Abdulazeez claimed to have paid a substantial amount to his mother, Hafsat Ganduje, for this purpose.
However, three months later, the property developer discovered that the land he had paid for had been allocated to other buyers, leading to a request for a refund. This incident shed light on alleged corruption and mismanagement within the Ganduje family.
The Kano State anti-corruption commission has since taken legal action against Abdullahi Ganduje, his wife Hafsat Umar, his son Umar Abdullahi Umar, and five others on charges related to corruption, misappropriation, diversion of funds, among other offenses involving billions of naira. The charges also implicate entities like Abubakar Bawuro, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
One particular count in the charge sheet accuses Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, while serving as the Governor of Kano State, of corruptly receiving $200,000 as a benefit from contractors awarded by the state government on his instruction. This action is deemed as official corruption under the laws governing the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission.
Another count involves Abdulahi Umar Ganduje allegedly collecting a kickback of $213,000 for a remodeling project in the Kantin Kwari textile market. This illicit act is described as official corruption and is punishable under the commission’s laws.
The unfolding events within the Ganduje family and the legal actions initiated by the anti-corruption commission showcase the ongoing battle against corruption in Nigeria. Abdulazeez’s unexpected support for the charges against his own family members adds a twist to the narrative, highlighting the complexities and challenges in fighting corruption at all levels of society.
Read the original article on DailyNigerian.com
