By Ibrahim Dosara
The current political crisis rocking Zamfara State has opened the eyes of Nigerians to the series of fictions and folktales about the state. This also exposed the conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of Governor Abdulaziz Yari and good people of the state.
Specifically, the perspective presented by Malam Mahmud Jega is no more than fiction or folktale, it did not reflect the current realities of in state. As admitted by him, a person who is hundreds of kilometers away from a political environment remains an ignorant of it and whatever he says about the development in that environment may end up telling a fiction or folktales.
In recent interviews with some members of the state House of Assembly, particularly Alhaji Umar Mua’zu Faru, Mannir Gidan Jaja, Mansur Bungudu and Malam Mani Bukkuyum, they testified that, they never discussed the impeachment of Yari. With these testimonies by the embattled members, is there any crime for the governor Yari to corroborate same position? It was pertinent for the governor to emphasize that “even if there was that attempt, it must be a mastermind of some selfish politicians in the state.”
The governor maintains excellent relationship with the legislators. They have been receiving correspondences from the governor, and his lieutenants meeting with him from time to time to share thoughts and champion citizen-oriented projects with their legislative approval as contained in law.
On many occasions, the governor handed over the state to Speaker Sanusi Garba Rikiji as acting governor in which he took decisions without the governor questioning his authority. At the recent signing of the 2016 budget, the speaker: “Our relationship with the governor and members of his executive council is very cordial and we would continue to support him in his quest to transforming the lives of Zamfara citizens.”
Jega quoted Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mannir Gidan Jaja, alleging that Yari was involved in corrupt practices including, corrupt usage of local government funds for state purpose, inadequate explanation of N1billion agriculture loan, gross misappropriation of Federal Government bailout funds to settle workers’ salaries.
These allegations sound like a fiction. There is no fiscal year since the inception of Yari’s administration when the appropriation bills of the 14 local government councils have not been transmitted to the floor of the state assembly for scrutiny and passage.
Zamfara is among the few states in the federation that has no arrears of salary or pension and I stand to be challenged. For the nine months of the economic hardship brought by the fall in the international oil market, Yari has been borrowing to ensure that workers are paid, before the arrival of the bailout, which he initiated as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum. When the bailout came, the governor with the lawmakers agreed on the use of the funds.
It would be unfair to link Yari with the arrest of principal officers by the Department of State Security (DSS). The DSS is not a parastatal under the state government. The speaker made it clear after his release that they were charged with the offence of not attending the official function chaired by the President in the state recently.
Again, a recent letter by Senator Sa’idu Dansadau is being linked to the situation in the state. This is unfortunate because the letter was written to the President, purely on the issue of insecurity particularly cattle rustling. There was nowhere Dansadau made mention of anything that has to do with the members of the state assembly.
It was also alleged that “at a period out of 60 straight days, the governor spent only two days in Zamfara.” There is no denying that the governor does travel out of the state, but the questions are: Is the governor not performing in terms of providing the dividends of democracy? Is he using the state funds to travel?
The Governor has been working assiduously to provide the basic needs of his people, including infrastructure. He has his cabinet members and aides who manage the MDAs on his behalf he cannot be everywhere. This is why the democratic norms under our presidential system of government empower governors and the President to appoint aides as ears and eyes.
It is therefore imperative to note that, governance in the 21st century connotes various styles and approaches and all that is needed is the result. The result that would impact positively on the lives of the citizens, which today one can testify through the construction of over 1,600 kilometers of roads linking dozens of communities and rural settlements in the state.
It could also be testified through the renovation of over 2,000 primary and secondary schools, sales of fertilizer at N1,000 per bag, disbursement of over 10,000 motorcycles and vehicles as poverty reduction programmes and accessing billions of naira counterpart funds for various projects.
With these and many more the claim that governance has stopped due to the constant travel of the governor, is absolutely ridiculous, unfair and far from the truth.
World Bank has offered to support in the rehabilitation of Bokolori Irrigation scheme to boost its annual production capacity to one million metric tons of rice and other farm produce. Over 100 students from Zamfara secured admission spaces at various universities in Sudan and other countries.
In as much as we welcome constructive criticisms, we also caution that one needs to avoid misleading fictions and folktales based on politically motivated articles and publications. One needs to always explore and exploit the use of thorough investigation. This will help to make objective analysis of issues that would be of benefit to the society rather than using sentiments to disintegrate the society.
This is food for thought for all.
•Dosara is Special Adviser Media & Public Enlightenment to Zamfara State Governor