How Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Sen. Abubakar Kyari, CON, wasted budget on friends, and political associates
The last may not have been heard about the extend of wastefulness that characterized the Senator Abubakar Kyari-led Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as billions of Naira that left the ministry’s coffers ended up accounts linked to companies owned by political associates and friends, LeadingReporters can authoritatively reveal.
The peak of these anomalies occurred in 2024 disbursement which saw hundreds of millions of naira moved into accounts of parliamentarians, either directly or through their proxy-companies. 2024 disbursements witnessed massive, questionable and lopsided payments made under the description of “Emergency supply of rice” and other palliative to different federal constituencies with Kano, and Kaduna leading.
Our investigation revealed that none of those disbursements followed the provisions of Public Procurement Act nor did they follow due process.
While some of those payments were made to companies which objectives were entirely different from the purpose for which the payments were made, others were paid to companies with serving senators and house of assembly members directly sitting on the board as directors and shareholders, in contravention of code of conduct and tribunal act.
One of such payment was the one made on the 2nd of April, 2024, totaling N170,909,090.91, vide payment no 1001167217-19 paid to Frankdiowo Nigeria Limited. This payment was described as payment for the supply of emergency rice to Osun East Senatorial District.
The beneficiary company, according to our investigation revealed that Senator Fadahunsi Adenigba Francis, who represents Osun East Senatorial District is the owner of the company. This payment is in violation of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the ICPC Act 2000, the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act.
Another similar case was the case involving SDK Generale Limited which also received the sum of N170,909,090.91 from ministry of agriculture purportedly for supply of rice to Bauchi North Senatorial District, vide payment no 1001162436-14. This payment was made on the 17th of March, 2024. SDK Generale Limited is owned by Senator Samaila Dahuwa Kaila who represents Bauchi North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
Available records revealed that billions of such suspicious payment was uniformly made under the guise of supplying rice to different communities. LeadingReporters investigation revealed that 80% of the entire disbursement by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security were paid to political exposed, in clear violation of Public Procurement Acts and other extant laws of Nigeria
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