Kebbi politics: Development or derailment?

However, the recent widely publicized flagrant disregard for court orders and confrontational posture against the state judiciary and democratic institutions by the state governor, Sa’idu Dakingari is undoubtedly threatening the track record of unity of purpose, peaceful co-existence and rapid socio-economic development achieved in the state over the years. While political and public affairs analysts […]

However, the recent widely publicized flagrant disregard for court orders and confrontational posture against the state judiciary and democratic institutions by the state governor, Sa’idu Dakingari is undoubtedly threatening the track record of unity of purpose, peaceful co-existence and rapid socio-economic development achieved in the state over the years. While political and public affairs analysts are examining the causes and implication of the governor’s arrogance and insensitivity in the nations’ media, there came again reports on the emergence of a new brand of political victimization and thuggery allegedly introduced and being promoted in the state by the governor.

Those conversant with the political development in Kebbi State will certainly conclude that Governor Dakingari’s flagrant disregard for court order and intimidation of the state Judiciary and democratic institutions as well as victimization of innocent people perceived to be opposed to him, are not only alien to the state but also product of his desperation for second term. It is a widely acknowledged fact that Governor Dakingari is a product of court judgment, but ironically he is rejecting all court orders that ran contrary to his expectation.

The case of the local government council’s chairmen and councilors is a very clear demonstration of the desperation. They were reported to have advised him against early campaign for second term without any visible achievement to show on the ground. That was their offence that earned them immediate sack through a bill passed by the state House of Assembly and were replaced with members of the governor’s campaign organization as sole administrators. However, the sacked chairman and councilors challenged the governor’s action in court and were fortunate to get favorable judgment as the state High court declared their removal as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void and ordered for their immediate reinstatement.

But instead of complying with the court order, Governor  Dakingari reportedly directed the sole administrators to mobilize the thugs recruited and trained by his second term campaign organization in each local government and arm them with all the weapons at their disposal and never allow the chairmen and councilors return to their offices as ordered by the court. Not satisfied with the barbaric action, he cooked some baseless allegations against the five chairmen that pursued the case to the logical conclusion and the state judiciary for not favoring the state government in the judgment and instructed his stooges in the State House of Assembly to probe them. The state and local government workers are equally not spared by the Governor’s manipulation and intimidation resulting from his desperation for second term. It is already in the public domain that some state civil servants are fraudulently being denied their monthly salary through a dubiously introduced e-payment system. While some have not been paid salary since January, others are being paid half to date and no explanation has been forthcoming from the government as regard their fate.

    What is happening in the Local Government areas could best be described as the highest act or irresponsibility and abuse of fundamental human right. Workers in the local governments are being threatened to choose between leaving the service or membership of the governor’s second term campaign organization to guarantee them job security.

It is no longer a secret that the organization’s membership registers have been opened in each of the 21 local government areas in May this year. Workers have been given up to the end of July to register, start payment of N500 monthly levy and participate fully in the activities of the campaign organization in their respective areas. Since the month of May when the registers were opened, only those that registered are being paid monthly salary and those that may not register up to the end of July will have their appointment terminated under the guise of insubordination and gross misconduct.     Now that the local government councils in Kebbi State have been stripped of the democratically elected and constitutionally recognized chairmen and councilors, what happened to their monthly allocation from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) since February when they were unlawfully sacked and refused resumption in June despite court orders? It is certain that the local government council’s accounts must have accumulated monthly allocations amounting to billions of naira but it is doubtful if any type of visible developmental project worth N5m has been executed in any part of the local governments since then.  It is therefore not out of place to challenge Sa’idu Dakingari’s administration to among other things, account for the salaries denied some state civil servants, the deducted salary of those being paid half under the fraudulent e-payment system and the accumulated local government councils monthly allocation from February to date.  

Mahmud is a coordinator with Equity Forum for Good Governance, Birnin Kebbi