A rift has emerged within the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Secretariat in Abuja as high-ranking officials find themselves embroiled in a controversy surrounding alleged financial fraud and recklessness.
This internal discord prompted the NGF Director of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, to address a letter to NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq.
In a leaked letter obtained by Daily Trust correspondent, Barkindo raised concerns about the management of the secretariat, describing the NGF as more transactional than developmental.
He asserted that the forum has transformed into “a conduit pipe for a few individuals” rather than serving as an agent of change. Barkindo called for a thorough forensic audit of all NGF accounts, including those created during crisis periods to prevent the concealment of financial activities.
The letter highlighted that the NGF accounts have not undergone auditing for at least a decade, with Barkindo expressing apprehension that a few individuals have treated the forum and its finances as their personal fiefdom. He pointed out that the lack of qualified accountants in an organization overseeing significant financial transactions raises questions.
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Barkindo emphasized discrepancies in the financial management, stating, “Staff of the Forum are always asking where all the money goes.” He provided specific instances, such as the N630 million deductions from the N5 billion infrastructure support fund, which resulted in disputes among governors during AbdulRasaq’s chairmanship.
The letter also shed light on the Paris-London Club transaction, where the NGF allegedly generated close to N19 billion. Barkindo accused the NGF Chairman at the time, Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar of Zamfara State, of intending to reward NGF staff with N850 million from the proceeds.
In his concluding remarks, Barkindo recommended a forensic audit of all NGF accounts to ensure transparency and accountability, particularly during crisis periods when financial activities might be concealed under the guise of initiatives like NIGOFO.