UPDATED: Kano Assembly Suspends Anti-Corruption Boss, Muhuyi

The Chairman of the State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin-Gado, has been suspended for one month by the Kano State House of Assembly, following a petition from the Office of the State Accountant General regarding the Chairman’s refusal to accept a Chief Accountant posted to the Commission.

According to the State Accountant General, Alhaji Shehu Mu’azu, the posted Chief Accountant was rejected and even presented with a rejection letter in that regard.

As a result, the Office of the Accountant General was forced to file a petition with the state House of Assembly, requesting that it intervene in the situation.

After a series of debates on the House floor, it was decided to suspend Rimin-Gado for one month in order to allow for the inquiry into the problem.

The House appointed the House Committee Chairman on Public Complaints, Hon Umar Musa Gama, to head the Committee which has Hon Lawan Shehu, Chairman House Committee on Judiciary; Chairman House Committee on Public Account, Hon Salisu Ibrahim Doguwa; House Committee Chairman on Finance, Hon Magaji Dahiru Zarewa; Hon Sale Ahmad Marke, Chairman House Committee on Hajj, as members to investigate the matter.

The Committee’s Secretary is the Deputy Director of Legal, and the Co-secretary is the Secretary of the Public Account Committee, and they have two weeks to provide their report findings to the House.

According to records, Rimin-Gado got into problems when the State Government discovered that he was living a showy lifestyle that was apparently out of proportion to his wages.

Other charges leveled against him include failing to turn over records of donations made through Open Government Policy (OGP) programs, as well as recovered funds not previously disclosed to the government.

However, he denied all allegations against him, claiming that he runs an open system and that all of his records are open to the public.