Re: Badaru and the fallacy of PDP decampees

In an article written in the Premium Times of December, 24th, 2015, one Dahiru Hassan Kera it is without doubt that the writer is a misnomer as far as the politics and socio-economic development of Jigawa state is concerned. His ignorant views about events in the state, especially in the last eight years, have exposed […]

In an article written in the Premium Times of December, 24th, 2015, one Dahiru Hassan Kera it is without doubt that the writer is a misnomer as far as the politics and socio-economic development of Jigawa state is concerned.
His ignorant views about events in the state, especially in the last eight years, have exposed his barren witlessness about the massive fraud his benefactor has committed during his eight inglorious years.
The decamping of over 370,000 PDP members to the APC- a reality that turned the PDP into an empty shell- lacking in soul and physical presence in the state was his point of argument. Historically, since the advent of the 5th republic, Jigawa state was never a PDP state. From 1998 when the current republic begins, the state has been predominantly a little to the left with the emergence of Alhaji Saminu Turaki of the APP as the Governor. The events that led to the emergence of Sule Lamido  as the Governor in 2007- 2015 was the singular decision of Governor Saminu Turaki rather than any political sagacity or acceptability of Alhaji Sule Lamido, who has never won an election in the state since its creation. And remember Saminu was never accused of stealing funds for personal use. He was never arrested for having billions stolen by him or his children.
For 370,000 former PDP members to decamp few months after losing was a manifestation of the political banana peels the Lamido dynasty was built on. It was a mirage. A system built on the same groups that have today, decided to take over the mantle of leadership after suffering eight years of failed governance in the state.
Between 2007 and 2015 when Governor Sule Lamido was at the helm of affairs, the state revenue nearly doubled what is received today. This is apart from excess crude funds that were always available at the Governors demands, as well as sovereign funds and the over N117bn debt he incurred.
The Jigawa state secretariat awarded by Sule Lamido at the cost of N6.6bn was raised to N9.3bn before completion, an increase of about 30%. Even the glorified airport that gulped over N17bn should not have exceeded N2bn according to experts. Is Kera also aware that almost all the so called developments by his paymaster were only designed to siphon the resources of the state.
Lamido also awarded ordinary cleaning of the state secretariat at a infuriating amount of N480m per annum, a cost that is drastically reduced to N250m only per annum by Badaru’s government. All projects initiated by your paymaster were white elephants and conduit pipes designed for self-enrichment as exposed by the ongoing EFCC investigations. Almost all projects left by your paymaster are re-negotiated down by 10% and 20% by the Governor Badaru Abubakar at a rate of N260 to US dollar when your paymaster awarded when naira was N160 per dollar.
All these re-negotiated contracts were done with the same quality, parameters and the same bill of quantities. In 2014, Lamido spent N780m on Hajj alone, while Badaru spent only N280m this year with the same value or even better. Lamido also spent a whopping N21m monthly to subsidize Dutse airport while Badaru runs it with zero public funding.
70% of government house overhead was saved by this administration apart from over N600m monthly saved on general overhead. Were these overpaid projects by Sule Lamido a sign of incapacity to award projects appropriately, or were they deliberate and choreographed shenanigans to divert public funds to personal use as the EFCC is currently proving to us? The “Lamidogate” that is being exposed by the EFCC is enough concern for Lamido to bury his face in shame instead of attempting to gain credit where repercussions and punishment should have been their rewards than blitz. The US40,000 seized from Lamido’s Son in 2012 should be a source of concern to you people. Between 2007 to 2015, EFCC exposed N1.3bn kick back to
Badaru Abubakar’s massive changes that focus on human development, recovery, educational revolution and fiscal discipline have been effected. This government, has within few months, set the state on the verge to quality education by providing 32% of its 2016 budget, a feat that surpasses the required 25% UNICEF standard. Already, over 450 teachers were recruited, over 100 foreign doctors are on their way to the state, hospitals have been upgraded from clinics to general, from general to specialist and electricity projects abandoned for eight years by your paymaster in Ringim has been concluded.
The hitherto silence by Governor Badaru as a sign of respect to Sule Lamido should not be taken for granted. The people of Jigawa state will no longer keep silent.
Hassan wrote from Dutse, Jigawa state [email protected]