Follow Us on Google
...Warns against repeat of COVID 19 parlliatives
From Idu Jude, Abuja
As many states of the Federation patiently awaits the distribution of Federal Government fuel subsidy parlliatives, already handed to the States Governors, concerned indegens of Bauchi states, has expressed fears over the sharing of 5 billion naira meant to cushion the effects of suffering of the indegent people, with special emphasis on the past lessons leant during COVID 19 where items meant for people were shielded away from the people.
The coordinator of Bauchi like-minds in Abuja and Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress APC, Dr. Garus Gololo in an exclusive chart with The Sun over the weekend in Abuja, made this known, while expressing fears that the Bauchi State Governor Sen. Bala Mohammed, may not be prudent with the implementation of the subsidy parlliatives owing to past experiences.
The former Army general, further, reminded that some of his worries are that Senator Bala Mohammed, has a records of poor project implementation even as one time Minister of FCT and as the substantive Governor of Bauchi State, therefore, believing that he may not judiciously implement the judicious sharing of the said parlliatives to the targeted indegent people of Bauchi State.
According to the former BOT member of the All Progressive Congress APC, past experiences have shown that Nigerian State Governor’s perform poorly with just an exception of few, which is an infinitesimal number. This act he observed, had in the past made so many of them have criminal records with special emphasis to that of Bauchi State Sen. Bala Mohammed who spent greater number of his days in Kuje Prison due to financial misconducts during his time in office as the FCT Minister.
” Well, the truth here, is that I do not trust my Governor, I have my fears on the equitable sharing of this parlliatives because of his past and present,which took him to Kuje prison on awaiting trial. He riggled himself out of the prison and also manouvered to become the Bauchi State Governor only to continue with a bleeding records of failed promises. If you go to My state Bauchi, there is nothing working, there is no local government system.
It is only in Bauchi State, where the state governor visits other states like Rivers to commission projects while pupils and students study under leaking roofs with lack no chairs and black boards to study with. You need to visit the primary schools across Bauchi State and you will weep for the state. Everything is in shambolic manner and we also have issues of lack of payment of salaries to state civil servants. Lack of payment of pensions to pensioners and so on. So we in the state are rolling our sleeves to fight it and I think that I speak the minds of other like-minds across the 36 states of the country and the FCT, to ensure that there are close monitoring of the implementation of this parlliatives Programme before it ends in individual pockets as usual”.
Further speaking, he pointed out that the Bauchi State Governor, since elected, have not commissioned a single project to justify his stay in office.
“Our issue, here is not to be partakers of the parlliatives, no, but to ensure that justice is served. So that there would be no repeat of the ‘Nigerian Factor’ where the rich smile to the detriment of the poor. We should know that the money is meant to cushion the effects of people’s suffering, so they the Governors must have this at the tip of their fingers, we the like- minds from Bauchi State knew that our Governor Sen. Bala Mohammed would not comply to prudent management of that 5billion naira meant for parlliatives. So we have set up a monitoring committee to ensure a judicious expenditure of that 5 billion naira because we do not trust our Governor, who was thrown into Kuje prison in Abuja at the twilight of his administration as the Minister of FCT. We know that he is not prudent with money. So this time, I think we fight it out and if by any chance he is found wanting, he goes back to his Kuje compound because he has a room there.
“You may ask me, how we would achieve that, and I can tell you that people whom I don’t want to mention their names, have carefully been selected, to put surveillance during the sharing. They would record, what measures the Governor is using, how many local governments and communities benefited, what exactly were they given to tally with the money. They will also monitor to know which company made supply of items to the people and after such we can total the cost of what they shared to the people, through such we can arrive at the prudent management of the 5 billion naira. And Iam sure so many other of the states should be doing so. I paid this people deployed to do this job from my pocket and I know they would deliver”.
While, fielding answers to questions to justify his fear, Dr. Garus Gololo, noted that Sen. Bala Mohammed’s past and present has said it all and serves as good evidence to further put him in check over the implementation of the parlliatives.
“Yes we have the fears that he wouldn’t do anything beyond his usual self. And we have tolerated him enough. Let me remind you that he still have the EFCC money laundering case hanging on his neck. The case have not been vacated yet because the governor’s immunity protects him and like I told you it is all about trusting someone. Last time I challenged him to invite former president Buhari, to commission at least one major project he executed and till now, he has not replied but he went to Rivers State to commission those did by former Governor Wike, what a shame.
So we have put up our monitoring committee in place and we are not going to divulge our scientific and tactical moves because if we do he would read the newspaper and copy our tactics. And once he fails, we would publish our scientific results to the public.
“and for your consumption, what we are doing is just for humanity because life is not all about making wealth. It is all about helping the needy or given them back this democratic dividends, which they voted for, so that when we die we should be able to stand before the creator boldly to answer questions on our efforts on earth.
” The Nigerian politicians and elites should as well know that power is transient. It does not last for ever. Once the tenure ends such a person becomes as ordinary as the masses”.
Commenting on the relative peace and stability being experienced in APC under the leadership of former Governor of Kano State, Umaru Ganduje, he however, applauded the party heirachy for the choice of the man, stating that as a party man, that he has to alain himself with the party choice.
He however observed the removal of Sen. Abdulahi Adamu, as the best thing that could happen to the party since it’s inception. ” Yes I wanted Sen. Abdulahi Adamu removed because he is a serial failure and he has gone to Nasarawa to rest for good” he said.
