Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Former deputy governor of Gombe State, Mr. Charles Iliya, has reacted to allegations that he voluntarily surrendered luxury vehicles in his possession to the asset recovery committee, set up by Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.
Illiya said he was issued a letter to return government properties improperly disposed to him and he was planning on how to react to the issue.
“I was shocked to see armed security personnel both within and outside my house, a day after receiving the letter, with a warrant demanding me to surrender vehicles in my compound. They were all armed, including a senior police officer with them, so I allowed them to take the cars.”
He claimed that the cars were the official vehicles he used during his four years tenure in office and that he properly applied for the vehicles which was approved and costed by the state government too.
“I paid for the cars and that has been the trend in Gombe State, whenever there is a change of government the outgoing government auctions some properties to its officials. Because the life span of government vehicles has always been four years.”
“I was surprised to hear that I voluntarily surrendered some vehicles to the committee, because my understanding of voluntarily would have been that either I returned the vehicles myself or I called the committee or some of the members to come and collect them. None of this happened, the cars were not taken or hiding anywhere, they were all in my compound, because I knew that they were lawfully acquired from the government,” the deputy governor said.