Why Gov. Ganduje fired MD of traffic agency

The governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has sacked the managing director of Kano Road Traffic Agency (KAROTA), Mustapha Buhari, after a committee set up by the governor to investigate allegations of official misconduct found him wanting, PREMIUM TIMES reliably gathered.

Although the state commissioner of Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mohammed Garba, issued a statement that the managing director voluntarily resigned, our correspondent learned that the governor actually sacked Mr. Buhari following indictment by a committee set up to investigate the matter last week.

The sacked managing director of the agency came under fire last week for beating up two staff, including a lady, to pulp for daring to arrest and fight with his son who committed traffic offence.

Sources said the son of the ousted MD was arrested by the agency’s marshals making calls while driving. Upon arrival at the agency’s headquarters, Mr. Buhari’s son allegedly began to insult the staff, a situation that angered one of them to slap him.

But when Mr. Buhari’s attention was drawn to the incident, sources said, he summoned the staff involved in the exchange to his office and started beating them – a situation that left the female staff seriously injured, and was later hospitalised.

PREMIUM TIMES also learned that Mr. Buhari was indicted by the state Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission for mismanaging the agency’s funds and refusal to lodge daily levies and charges into the agency’s bank account.

Another remote cause of the managing director’s sack was converting a number of operational vehicles, including two outrider powerbikes for use in his convoy.

“He converted vehicles meant for operation to personal use. His crimes range from arbitrariness, corruption and official misconduct,” said a source close to the state anti-corruption agency.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that it was on the strength of such official misdemeanours that the governor summoned a meeting with some of his commissioners and announced his decision to sack the managing director.

While accepting Mr. Buhari’s “resignation” letter, Mr. Ganduje warned all staff of the agency and the entire public servants in the state to ensure self discipline and strict compliance with the laid down rules and regulations guiding their official conduct as government would not condone harassment and intimidation of people by political appointees or civil servants in the course of discharging their duties.