On Masari, Shema and Commission of Inquiry

About two years ago, one Hassan Malumfashi published an article in selected national newspapers, with the caption, Where are the Katsina State Elders? Unfortunately, the issues he raised ahave not disappeared.  Malumfashi wrote: “The kind of information being published on the pages of newspapers, nearly on a daily basis, between the camp of Governor Aminu […]

About two years ago, one Hassan Malumfashi published an article in selected national newspapers, with the caption, Where are the Katsina State Elders? Unfortunately, the issues he raised ahave not disappeared. 

Malumfashi wrote: “The kind of information being published on the pages of newspapers, nearly on a daily basis, between the camp of Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State and his predecessor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, is disturbing, sad and pathetic. If the trend is allowed to continue unchecked, it is going to be like a time-bomb that may consume the gains of democracy recorded in the state over the years.’’

He also advised the two principal actors to exercise caution and refuse to dance to the tune of a selected few around them, bearing in mind that he that lives in a glass house does not throw stones. Similarly, former Governor Shema needs to realise that having served the state for eight years, he is an elder statesman and a major stakeholder in the state. Therefore, no matter the level of provocation, he needs to realise that a man does not pull down the house he built.

It is unfortunate that more than two years in office, the government is engaged in war against his predecessor at the expense of good governance. The instigators of this  face-off are actually using the avenue of committees and legal cases to siphon the state resources.

It is worrisome that having received monthly allocations, bailout fund, Paris Club refund and loans from different sources within two years in office, not much has been seen in terms of impactful projects. Unfortunately, the governor, having put his hands on the plough, decided to look back at the same time; hence the attendant results of distraction and obnoxious policies like the cancellation of free education in public schools, which has drastically affected school enrolment figures in the state since most parents cannot afford examination fees for their children. 

It is noteworthy that former Governor Shema left a debt-free state, with a credit balance of in various state and local governments accounts. This is in addition to the execution of numerous developmental projects across the state, including building the first state-owned orthopaedic hospital in the whole of northern Nigeria. For such a great achiever to be treated the way Shema is being treated in Katsina State is absurd. It is already a common joke across the country that such incident can only take place in Katsina.

If it is true that Shema abused his   position while in office, due diligence and processes should be followed in his prosecution. The desperation and haste in making the Commission of Inquiry to submit its report is unnecessary. It is instructive that the same commission was earlier directed to remove from its final report, certain names of people who had been persistently mentioned by the governor for the past two years as corrupt, simply because they decided to join his administration. The government is yet to explain this clearly. 

Umar Abubakar wrote from Kofar Yandaka, Katsina.