Sani Dutsinma
The Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, has approved the constitution of a high-powered committee to investigate the abandoned construction of the Governor’s Lodge and Hotel project in Kaduna.
The approval was conveyed through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, following renewed concerns over the long-abandoned project, which was initiated during the erstwhile military administration.
According to the directive, the committee is mandated to ascertain the legal status of the project and determine whether the contractor reconciled with the Kebbi State Government as earlier advised by the then Solicitor-General after the revocation of the contract.
The committee will also establish the current condition of the project site and investigate the circumstances that led to its abandonment.
In addition, it is tasked with examining the reasons behind the revocation of the contract by the state government and identifying both the original and revised contract sums awarded for the project.
The investigative panel is chaired by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed Birnin Kebbi. Other members include the Special Adviser on Due Process, Surajo Garba Bagudo; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Ahmad Umar Yarima; and the Director of Architecture and Building from the Ministry of Works. The Director of EXCO, Kabiru Hassan Wasagu, will serve as the Secretary of the committee.
The committee has been given a two-week deadline to conclude its assignment and submit a comprehensive report to the Kebbi State Government for further action.
The move highlights the state government’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and the recovery of stalled public projects.