Re: KNSG break Silence on Alleged ₦6.5bn Diversion

By Muhammad Garba



My attention has been drawn to the press release issued by the Kano state government on August 25, 2025, signed by its Director General Media, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, in response to the widely reported allegations of diversion of ₦6.5 billion from the state treasury.



Ordinarily, I would not have dignified the statement with a response since the matter is already before a competent court of law. However, the press release is riddled with contradictions, half-truths, and political attacks that cannot be left unchallenged.



The government admits the case is before the court but still goes ahead to mount a lengthy media trial. This undermines the sanctity of the judiciary. If the case is truly sub judice, why the propaganda?



Instead of addressing the simple questions wether the ₦6.5bn was actually withdrawn or not, the statement resorts to political blackmail, dragging the immediate past administration into an issue that concerns the present government. Even if past administrations erred, that does not absolve the current one from accountability.



The description of the Protocol Directorate as merely an administrative office makes the allegations even more troubling. If its functions are strictly within budgetary limits, then providing approvals, vouchers, and retirements for the ₦6.5bn should not be difficult. Why the storytelling instead of evidence?



The repeated references to “opposition,” “enemies of the people,” and “political blackmail” are nothing more than a smokescreen. Public funds belong to the people, and asking questions about them is not propaganda—it is accountability.



True transparency is not claimed; it is demonstrated. If the government is as open and accountable as it insists, let it publish the documents that prove the funds were lawfully utilized. Until then, lengthy essays and political name-calling will only deepen public suspicion.



The people of Kano deserve clarity, not deflection. They deserve transparency, not propaganda. And they deserve answers, not excuses.



Signed

Muhammad Garba

Former Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman and for Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Kano State.