How Zamfara Governor, Matawalle Paid N118Million To Company Linked To Former Campaign Director, Jamilu Zannah For Abandoned Governor’s Lodge Project

One of the companies awarded multi-billion-naira projects by the outgoing Zamfara State Governor, Bello Mohammed for the construction of governor’s lodges across the 14 local government areas of the state, has been linked with Jamilu Zannah, SaharaReporters’ investigation has revealed.

Zannah was Governor Bello’s former campaign director during the 2019 general election. Zannah, a former chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), died in December 2021 after a protracted illness.

The late Zannah was among the directors of Zannah Kachalla World Link, a company that was paid N118,281,150.00 for the construction of the Governor’s Lodge in the Maradun Local Government Area. Meanwhile, despite the fact that the total amount of the award has been deducted from the state treasury, the project has not reached 70% completion.

SaharaReporters’ investigation revealed that Zannah Kachalla World Link was registered on July 7, 2014, with RC number: 1205042 and has Jamilu Aliyu Zannah, and some of his relatives who were identified as Khadiza Jamilu Zannah, Aliyu Jamilu and Umar Muhammad as its directors.

SaharaReporters had reported how the Zamfara State government under Governor Matawalle spent billions of naira on the construction of governors’ lodges across the 14 local government areas of the state, which have now been abandoned.

The projects include the construction and furnishing of a Governor’s Lodge in each local government area which has gulped huge amounts of money which the projects on the ground cannot justify.

The amount earmarked and released for each local government area differs, and the projects were shared among different contractors for execution.

There were full payments made in some cases and over 90 per cent of payments were made to some contractors without the corresponding projects on the ground. For instance, some projects were abandoned halfway through in some local government areas.

According to information obtained from Nigeria24 and NG-Check.com on Monday, May 8, 2023, the outlets that provide information on registered companies in Nigeria, Zannah Kachalla World Link, the company that was paid N118 million for the construction of the project in the Maradun Local Government Area, was registered for Hotel and Hospitality services.

This implies that the Zamfara government violated the Public Procurement Act of 2007 by awarding the contract to Zannah Kachalla World Link, a company owned by a former campaign director for the state governor whose influence would affect fairness during the bidding and overall procurement process for the project.

Sections 57 and 58 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 prohibit public officers from engaging in or awarding public contracts.

Section 57(9) states, “Every public officer involved directly or indirectly in the matters of public procurement and disposal of assets shall divest himself of any interest or relationship, which are potentially inimical or detrimental to the best interest of the government.”

When SaharaReporters called the Director General of the Zamfara State Bureau of Public Procurement, Maiharaji Altine Gusau, to get his reaction to our findings, he blamed the state Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC) for the irregularities in the procurement processes.

He said, “The problem was during FGPC. The body was in charge of awarding of contracts before BPP was established in 2022.”

In April, SaharaReporters reported that Matawalle approved the release of funds from the state treasury for payment of projects across the state, many of which have been abandoned.

Investigation revealed that most of the contractors awarded the projects were connected directly or indirectly to the governor.

In most cases, the contractors were awarded multiple contracts ranging from the construction of roads to the construction of Governor’s lodges across the local government areas of the state. The abandoned projects have consumed billions of naira.

An investigation into the projects exposed the mismanagement of state funds with bulk payments made to contractors for works that had yet to be completed or even start.

For instance, the state government approved the sum of N593,535,254.00 for the construction of the road that links Kaiwa to Lamba to Gidan Goga ward on the Kauran Namoda/Shinkafi Federal Highway. Meanwhile, the total sum of N525,510,516.77 had been released to the contractor, MotherCat Nigeria Limited.

The outstanding payment for the project was N68,024,737.23, yet no work had started on the site.

The outgoing government also approved the sum of N1,875,259,890.00 (N1.8 billion) for the construction of Danmarke to Kanoma Road in the Maru Local Government Area of the state. SaharaReporters’ investigation showed that the sum of N1,567,566,531.65 (approximately N1.6 billion) had been withdrawn from the government account and released to the contractor Nael Bin Harmal Hydro Export (NBHH) Nigeria Limited. The outstanding payment was N307,693,358.35 (about N308 million) but unfortunately, the project was yet to commence at the time of report.

 

Also, Syndicate Construction and Commercial Company Limited was awarded a contract to construct two roads; the Maradun to Magami and Faru Road in the local government area of the governor and Mada to Wonaka R/Bore Road. The sum of N3, 391, 118, 189. 70 (about N3.4 billion) was withdrawn from Zamfara State’s treasury and released as payment for the work, which had yet to commence let alone reach completion level.

 

Also, the sum of N172.4 million had been released by the state government to M. Sulaiman Enterprises Limited as payment for the construction of a 600m Chediya Ukku – Gidan Mayana – Magama – Tullukawa along Anka Road.

SaharaReporters’ investigation showed that despite the payment, no work had started on the road.

A contractor, Solid Soils Limited, was given a job to construct Kwanar Magarya – Magama – Yanbuki – Jibiya Road and the sum of N929.5 billion was released by the state government as payment for the work, yet there was nothing on the ground to show for it.

Matawalle also approved the reconstruction and completion of the General Hospital in the Shinkafi local council area with the sum of N2,429,301,036.61 (N2.4 billion) already released to the contractor 180 Circle Construction and Engineering Limited, which is more than 80 per cent of the total amount approved for the project.

Again, there was nothing on the site to justify that N2.4 billion had been released for the job.