Kebbi Assembly Suspends Fakai LG Chairman Over Alleged Corruption and Misconduct

Kebbi State House of Assembly has suspended Muhammad Fawa, Chairman of Fakai Local Government, following allegations of corruption, gross misconduct, breach of trust, and misappropriation of council property.

The suspension was approved on Wednesday after the House adopted a report from a Special Committee, led by Salihu Dangoje, which investigated the chairman’s alleged misconduct and theft.

In his presentation, Dangoje revealed that the committee uncovered evidence of Fawa’s involvement in the misappropriation of five electrical transformers, each valued at N2.5 million, and irregular allocation of farmlands.

“The chairman previously claimed the transformers were taken for servicing with the permission of a KEDCO official; however, the official failed to appear before the committee to verify this,” Dangoje said.

The Guardian gathered that Fawa later admitted to the misappropriation, with financial records indicating funds were transferred into specific accounts. The committee also highlighted irregularities in the allocation of farmlands, prompting their immediate revocation.

Regarding the Mahuta Dam rehabilitation project, the panel found inconsistencies in Fawa’s assertion that the contract had been awarded to ZBCC Company. The company’s project engineer denied any contract award, stating their equipment was only hired for supervision. No evidence of payment for a contract award was found.

Based on these findings, the committee recommended Fawa’s suspension for six months, with the vice chairman assuming leadership in the interim. Other recommendations included immediate commencement of the Mahuta Dam rehabilitation, revocation of the irregularly allocated farmlands, and issuance of a commendation letter to the NSCDC Divisional Officer in Fakai for professionalism in handling the transformer case.

The motion for Fawa’s suspension was moved by Muhammad Buhari Aliero, seconded by Nura Kangiwa, and announced by the Speaker, Muhammad Usman, stating that the suspension takes effect immediately.