The Kano State Government has disclosed that it spent N596 million on furniture, office fittings, and other amenities across various ministries, departments, and agencies during the first and second quarters of the 2024 fiscal year.
Additionally, the government has ordered the immediate revalidation of the second-quarter budget performance report to reflect the actual expenditures on these projects.
Reacting to media reports suggesting that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf spent N10 billion on furniture, the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, urged the public to disregard the inflated figure, which he described as an attempt to tarnish the government’s image.
Dawakin-Tofa emphasized that Governor Yusuf’s administration prioritizes budget realism to ensure openness, transparency, and accountability in governance.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Dawakin-Tofa explained, “The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning released the second-quarter budget performance report on July 28, 2024, but mistakenly altered the figures, causing unnecessary reactions.”
“The timely release of the report demonstrates the government’s commitment to providing stakeholders with information on all expenditures, as promised to the people of Kano during the election campaign.”
Dawakin-Tofa further clarified, “The second-quarter report was erroneously submitted with a data mix-up. The N10 billion figure was intended for the payment of contractors’ liabilities and other expenses incurred by previous administrations. The payment primarily cleared the backlog of indigenous contractors’ debts, enabling them to settle bank loans and resume normal business operations.”
He provided detailed figures for the expenditures, stating, “In the first quarter of 2024, N295,827,062.87 was spent, while the second quarter saw an expenditure of N300,755,500. The total amount spent from January to July 2024 on furniture and office fittings across various MDAs was N596,582,562.87, contrary to the purported N10 billion.”
Dawakin-Tofa assured that the Accountant General’s office is prepared to provide detailed information upon request, emphasizing that the data is not hidden.
“The misleading information in the report was corrected by the Office of the Accountant General following numerous media inquiries. The state regrets any inconvenience caused to stakeholders, including development partners, financial institutions, and government agencies. The error was due to officials failing to validate the data properly,” he added.
The Governor has cautioned all data managers and handlers to maintain high professionalism, warning that the government will not tolerate the dissemination of unreliable data.
The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has been directed to review the budget performance report template immediately to prevent future misrepresentations.