‘I didn’t break any law’ — Bauchi gov speaks on property seized by ICPC

June 21, 2020 12:37 pm

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state, says he didn’t break any law regarding the multi-million naira property traced to him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, the anti-graft agency announced the seizure of the property, which houses Zinaria International School at Plot 298, Wuye District, Cadastral Zone B3, Abuja.

ICPC said its investigation found that the governor allocated the property to himself while serving as the minister of the federal capital territory, despite an existing right of the ministry of agriculture over the land.

However, Mukhtar Gidado, the governor’s spokesman, said ICPC is persecuting the governor and his family.

He said the identified school has been in existence before Mohammed became minister of FCT under the leadership of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Gidado said the governor did not violate any law or breach his oath of office, adding that the school expanded to its current site after its shareholders and directors applied for land allocation by legal means.

“We refute the commission’s story in its entirety and state that Senator Bala Mohammed did not flout any policy or break any law, known to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or did he, in any way, breach his oath of office to warrant perniciously scandalising his name or subjecting members of his family to mindless persecution as the ICPC is wilfully pushing,” a statement by Gidado read.

“Zinaria International School was established and had been long operational, offering quality education, in a cost-effective manner, to all and sundry, long before Senator Bala Mohammed became Minister of the FCT.

“Like any other corporate entity, due to planned expansion, the school applied for land, a legitimate right it would have exercised, irrespective of whomsoever was the Minister of the FCT at the time.

“The shareholders and directors of the school are Nigerians who, by their respective ages, were qualified to apply for and be allocated land if they met the conditions required.

“And we make bold to say that all the names listed in the MEMAT (Draft Memorandum and Articles of Association) of the school are eminently qualified to be allocated land.”