“Tinubu’s Appointment of Ganduje as Board Chair of FAAN Is a Proof of Reward for Corruption in Nigeria” – Fisayo Soyombo

Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has criticized President Tinubu’s appointment of Abdullahi Ganduje as the new board chair of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

According to Soyombo who made a post on his social media handles on Friday, he asserted that Ganduje’s ascent from alleged corruption to being the APC national chairman in 2023 and now heading FAAN exemplifies Nigeria’s troubling pattern of rewarding corrupt individuals with public office.

Soyombo’s condemnation centered on Ganduje’s history of corruption allegations, most notably the infamous 2018 video showing him stashing $230,000 under his babanriga.

“From being filmed hastily stashing $230,000O under his babanriga in 2018, to becoming the APC national chairman in 2023 and today getting appointed by Tinubu as new board chair of FAAN, Abdullahi Ganduje is proof that in Nigeria, the reward for corruption is public office!”, Soyombo wrote.

In 2018, a video published by Daily Nigerian and another one shared on Twitter (now X) by @SKSolaKuti show Ganduje, then Governor of Kano State, receiving kickbacks from contractors.

SaharaReporters had reported that while appearing before a panel constituted by the Kano House of Assembly, Jaafar Jaafar, Publisher of Daily Nigerian newspaper, revealed that Ganduje had been collecting kickbacks from contractors in the state for a long time.

In the video shared by @SKSolaKuti, Ganduje is seen engaged in a discussion with someone about contracts relating to infrastructure.

The transcription of the video showed the value of the Deputy Governor’s office at N35 million, a certain Dandinshe Road valued at N200 million (although the Speaker said N220 million), and Rochas Road at N69 million.

Afterwards, the governor is seen collecting money in bundles from the ‘contractor’.

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