A former Commissioner in Kwara State, Sulaiman Kayode Yusuf (popularly known as Maja) has narrated how the Kwara State Ministry of Finance sold a government vehicle to him at the rate of N70,000 giveaway price.
He made this revelation before Justice Olabanji Orilonishe led judicial panel of inquiry on the sales of Kwara State assets.
He also disclosed how he acquired a government chalet at 2, Peter Tokula Street GRA, Ilorin in 2004.
Findings by The Ravens NG show that government chalets are meant for dignitaries who are visiting the state. Such chalets are purposely built to save the cost of perpetually accommodating such important visitors in hotels.
Speaking before the judicial panel however, Yusuf Maja said he had occupied the chalet before even acquiring it.
“When I was given appointment in 2003, the government allocated the two bedroom flat property to me in 2004 when there was no windows, no doors and asbestos.
“It was sold to me at the rate of N8.8m. I installed everything in the house. But the title was issued to me in March 2016,” he noted.
Yusuf, though, agreed with the panel’s counsel Joseph Bamigboye (SAN) that government chalets are reserved for government guests to save hotel cost.
He alleged that the State Executive Council approved the sale of the chalets to him at that period.
Narrating how he got his vehicles which still bears state government number plate after decades of leaving government, Yusuf said the bus was given to him from government house for campaign in those days and admitted deliberately putting government house number on it while the 307 car “was an abandoned car that the ministry of finance auctioned to me at the rate of about N70,000.”
He added: “When the commission visited my house I explained to them that the bus was for campaign but I was the one who wrote government house number on it. The other one was actually government number on the abandoned car that the ministry of finance sold to me at about N70,000. It is nothing to write home about. In fact, they have removed the top engine.
“I don’t have the bus papers because I didn’t buy it. How can I buy campaign vehicle? It was allocated to me and allocating a vehicle in government house is just by your name or your office and the party.”
