‘Kogi Local Government Chairman Auctions Government Property Few Days To Leaving Office’

With less than a month left in his tenure, Taofiq Isah, Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area in Kogi State, is accused of auctioning properties worth hundreds of millions of naira belonging to the local government.

Arewa PUNCH’s investigation uncovered that a range of items, including vehicles, typewriters, motorcycles, furniture, and cooking utensils, were sold.

The sale was reportedly to raise funds for the council following the freezing of state and local government accounts by Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

Sources indicate that the freezing of the accounts has placed local governments in the state in a financially challenging position.

The items allegedly sold included: two Toyota Corolla, 1.8 salon 2014, Toyota Camry salon, Toyota Hummer Hiace Bus belonging to the Legislative Council, Toyota Hiace Conference bus and that of the NULGE, Toyota Camry Salon Car Envelope, 2 Toyota Sienna, Ford Hilux Vans, Ford Jeep, Toyota Pick Up Van, Quiqui, Dyna Van and other vehicles.

Also listed to have been allegedly sold are other government valuables such as ploughs, harrows, tractor scrap, tractors (Ursus 4512), MF3755, new Holland, 2 cat graders 120G and others which were reportedly sold for N16,560,000.

The remaining items, the source said, are: four television sets, five standing fans, generators, four refrigerators, typewriters, motor saw, and so on.

According to the source that spoke with Punch, “This is the first time in the history of Ijumu Local Government when a Council Chairman will sell properties of Government just less than a month to end his tenure without giving room for due process.”

Arewa PUNCH further findings revealed that the Local Government Secretariat is now empty as Tractors distributed by the outgoing Governor, Bello, which was aimed at enhancing and boosting farming and ensure food security, including the other councils previously on ground before the chairman came on board have equally been allegedly sold at ridiculous amounts.

The source alleged further, “Before his appointment as an Administrator in 2016 and subsequent election as Chairman in 2020, the Local Government always graded the feeder roads but Isah has sold the graders and now, many of the rural roads are presently impassable and in a dilapidated condition.

“The alleged fraudulent auction activities were done in connivance with an auctioneer, Salawu Onimisi from Kogi Central.”

A staff of the Local Government who also pleaded anonymity because she was not mandated to speak with the media, urged the Bello to dissolve the process and direct refund of funds collected during the exercise, saying the entire Local Government will be empty if the auctioning continues and is allowed to sail through.

She revealed that no Local Government Staff benefitted from the exercise, and there was no transparency and accountability in the entire process.

She said, “There is nothing left in the local government anymore. The Government of Alhaji Yahaya Bello and eminent Ijumu personalities must not allow this fraudulent auction, which will turn our Local Government to a desert and shadow of itself to succeed.

“How will a man sell 70 per cent of government property to himself through proxy.”

However, the Chairman, in a reaction, told Arewa PUNCH that the items sold were moribound items with little or no economic value to the Council.

A statement issued in response to the allegation by the Special Assistant to the Chairman, Media and Publicity, Othman Hamidu, clarified that the property sold were moribound, adding that the sale was handled by a professional and reputable auctioneer

The statement read in parts, “It is a known fact that the assets have become moribund over the years and impacting on the local government’s lean resources can be auctioned out at a specified amount determined by auctioneers and money gotten remitted to the Local Government’s account.”

Hamidu reminded that upon assumption of office in 2016, the Chairman declared an emergency on rural roads and opened them up every dry season to allow most of the people to access their farm outputs.

He further stated, “The Executive Chairman has made a lot of sacrifices in terms of security, infrastructure and basic health facilities in his seven productive years as the Chief Executive officer of the Local Government which earned him many national awards.”