Emir Sanusi’s N6bn probe independent –Speaker

Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Alhassan Rirum, has said the investigation of the Emir of Kano, Mohammed Sanusi, by the House is not connected to a similar exercise being undertaken by an agency of the executive arm of the state government.
The Kano Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission had, last week, announced it had opened inquiry into alleged misappropriations of funds of the Kano Emirate Council, initially reported to run into about N6 billion, from the time Sanusi became the emir in 2014.
The speaker told Premium Times yesterday that the investigation by the legislators centred on the emir and was strictly informed by a motion raised by a member representing Nassarawa State Constituency, Ibrahim Gama.
Gama had, on Wednesday, levelled eight charges against the monarch and urged the house to quickly carry out an investigation.
The allegations include defamation of character, breach of oath of office/oath of allegiance, abuse of office privileges and protocol, and political and religious interference.
The other charges were alleged unguided utterances, misappropriation of public funds, misrepresentation at public gatherings and undue criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari/APC-led government. The motion was seconded by the member representing Kano Municipal constituency, Babba Dan’Agundi, and unanimously adopted by the House. The House then constituted a seven-member committee to carry out the investigation.
Members of the investigative committee include the legislator representing Ajingi constituency, Abdul Madari, as chairman, member representing Kano Municipal, Babba Dan’Agundi, as vice chairman and member representing Kiru constituency, Kabiru Dachi. Last month, Kano State Public Complaints and An­ti-Corruption Com­mission said its probe of alleged “questionable expenditures and financial misappropriation” on the Kano Emirate Council had no political motive. Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Muhiyi Magaji said the investigation was not in any way politically-motivated, but was aimed at getting to the root of the allegations.
He said the decision by the commission to in­vestigate the complaints or allegations was borne out of the need to ensure fairness.
“The agency in carrying out the probe is fulfilling its mandate as established by the law. I wonder why people are questioning the reason be­hind the investigation and, at the same time, trying to pre-empt what is being in­vestigated,” Muhiyi said.
He insisted that no amount of pressure would deter the commission from carry­ing out its duties, not even from Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
On April 25, 2017, Sanusi said he was ready for any probe on his expenditures for the three years he has spent on the throne, saying his hands are clean.