Saturday Ring True

Ring True with Yemi Adebowale, Email: yemi.adebowale@thisdaylive.com; Tel: 07013940521 (text only)

Governor Al-makura Liable for Death of Protesting Worker
Civil servants across the nation have never had it so bad in the history of this country. The last one year has been harrowing, with huge unpaid salaries, pension and gratuities across the states. That of Nasarawa State has assumed a chilling dimension. For those who have not been following developments in this state, Nasarawa’s civil servants were at the Government House, Lafia, last week, to protest unilateral and illegal cut in their salaries by Governor Tanko Al-makura. They were led by the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba. This cold-blooded governor cut their salaries by 50 per cent in this very difficult era. Unfortunately, these hapless workers, while fighting for their rights within the precincts of the laws of our land were viciously attacked by policemen stationed at the Government House. Their offence was that they dared to stage a protest at the Government House. At the end of the cruel attack by the policemen, one of the workers, Ali Umbugadu, a staff of the state’s Ministry of Education was killed. Musa Saliyu, a staff of the Finance Department, Doma Local Government Area of the state, survived with gunshot wounds; Mrs. Salamatu Mohammed, a judicial worker remains critically ill; and Mr. Rabiu Mohammed, a journalist with the Nigerian Newsday, a state-owned media outfit, was unconscious for several hours. Several other civil servants were badly injured. As at press time, another injured protester was speculated to have died.

The overzealous policemen on duty at the Nasarawa Government House on the day of this tragic incident were clearly out to impress Al-makura. The governor was at home and shut himself in, instead of coming out to address the seething workers. Of course, the supporters of the governor are claiming that he did not tell the policemen to shoot the protesting workers. At the same time, Al-makura, obviously, did not tell the policemen to allow the protest unhindered. The policemen read his body language perfectly and moved against the workers. I am shocked that this governor has not uttered a word, over a week after the murder of this civil servant. Al-makura must be held responsible for the death of comrade Umbugadu. The blood of Umbugadu is on the head of Al-makura. Where are the so-called human rights activists in Nigeria? They have all suddenly gone mute. Who will fight for justice for comrade Umbugadu? Almighty Allah will fight for him.

If Al-makura had properly engaged the workers, things would not have reached this stage where they came out to protest. For months, they had pleaded with him to reverse his draconian policies, but he refused. This governor has spent the last one year pummeling Nasarawa civil servants. There is so much suffering in this state with decaying infrastructure. Hospitals, schools and other public institutions are in a mess. All these are happening in a state that has been turned into a personal estate by the governor. Al-makura’s wives and children run the show here.

It is also a shame that over a week after this bloody incident, the Nasarawa police authorities are yet to fish out the officers responsible for the shootings. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Abubakar Bello, has simply been grandstanding. Bello is obviously doing everything possible to protect the culprits. It is very sad. The organised labour should go beyond rhetoric. By now, I expect them to have shut down Nasarawa State. What is Wabba and Bobboi Kaigama waiting for? This is the time to go for Al-makura’s jugular.

The Nasarawa governor has been moving around freely as if nothing has happened. He is not perturbed by the death of comrade Umbugadu. I am not surprised. He is in the club of “Governors from Hell.” Just as Bobboi Bala Kaigama, President, Trade Union Congress, TUC, noted, “Many of our governors are guilty of massive looting of the treasury, thereby causing miseries in the process. There is no excuse that can be given to justify owing workers’ salaries for eight or nine months. This is nothing but sheer wickedness; to pillage the treasury and leave workers to go home for months without salaries. The welfare of workers should be paramount to both the states and federal governments for the nation to achieve meaningful development. We in the association believe very strongly that time has come for our dear country to develop a new economic model that will take into consideration the variables that are relevant and consistent to the Nigerian situation.”

A Word for Governor Yahaya Bello
The opponents of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State say he has mismanaged the N48 billion he obtained as bailout from the federal government. One of such opponents, called Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), wants the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the governor. The group further alleged that N912 million was paid from Kogi State’s infrastructural account number 1010756707 at Zenith Bank to AG Vision Construction Nigeria Limited Account No 1920001651 at Skye Bank “as part payment for the construction of Agasa-Ukpogoro road, a fictitious no-existing project as at today.” My dear Yahaya, the allegations against you are weighty. I am shocked that you have not responded appropriately. You need to properly account for all you have collected from the federal government as bailout. Already, Kogi State is neck deep in debt because of this bailout. This generation and indeed, future generations of Kogi State will be responsible for the payment of this debt. It will be heart-wrenching if indeed, the fund was mismanaged as alleged. Yahaya, must account for every kobo obtained.

Globetrotting Zamfara Governor’s Venom
Globetrotting Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State finally viciously killed moves by the state’s legislators to impeach him. This was after he got operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) to teach the leaders of the state’s House of Assembly a big lesson. Wonders will never end. This brutal governor got the DSS in Abuja to invite and detain the speaker, Alhaji Sanusi Garba Rikiji, his deputy, Muhammad Abubakar Gumi, the majority leader, Isah Abdulmumini and the chief whip, Abdullahi Dansadau. The remaining 20 members of the Assembly had to flee to Kaduna to avoid being arrested. This action was clearly a gross abuse of office by the DSS and Yari. Prior to this, Yari used miscreants to attack the Speaker. The intimidation worked, with the lawmakers withdrawing their impeachment notice last week.

Notwithstanding, Zamfara legislators have made their point about Governor Yari’s ineptitude, misappropriating allocations to the state, corrupt usage of local government funds, failing to implement the budget in the last five years and non-remittance of pension funds to pension administrators. These are hefty allegations. Rather than addressing the issues, Yari, who is constantly abroad, resorted to political intimidation, arrest and detention of principal officers of the House and other supporting staff. Zamfara governor must account for the almost N12 billion fund he collected from Buhari.

Yari’s frequent trips abroad are evidently impacting negatively on the day-to-day running of government, apart from imposing financial burden on the state. This state remains one of the most backward in Nigeria. That was why elder statesman, Senator Saidu Dansadau, petitioned Buhari, asking the President to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State. Dansadau, an indigene of the state, alleged that Yari had committed some infractions that could jeopardise the security of lives and properties of the people of the state.
He urged Buhari and the National Assembly to invoke the necessary provisions of the constitution which empowered them to declare a state of emergence in the state in the interest of peace and safety of the residents.

Dansadua said: “The governor hardly stays in the state as he prefers to travel all over the world at the expense of the state resources and safety of the people. He has spent only about 20 per cent of that whole period (five years) in Zamfara State. He had utilised the other 80 per cent junketing from one part of the country to the other and shuttling around the globe. All matters of state that require action are kept waiting until he returns to the state. Consequently, intelligence and security reports are kept in abeyance. For instance, at a period, out of 60 straight days, the governor spent only two days in Zamfara State.”
I sincerely hope Yari will amend his ways, by spending quality time in the state in order to tackle the numerous challenges of Zamfara State. The level of poverty in this state is shameful and unacceptable.

So, What Happened to Buhari’s N2.2tr in 12 Months?
Whenever President Muhammadu Buhari’s apologists say that the regime’s failing is partly because of inadequate cash, I always laugh. I hope they now know that the federal government under Buhari got a total of N2,203,573,573,563 from the Federation Account as allocation between June 2015 and May 2016. This thorough compilation was done by theEconomic Confidential. Just as I reported a couple of weeks back, we all now know that Buhari got over N2.2 trillion in 12 months. This is good money anywhere in the world. What happened to this revenue? Why is there so much suffering in our land amidst so much money? Our dear president needs a lot of talking to do on how this N2.2 trillion was spent instead of persistently blaming others for the challenges facing the country. Buck-passing remains a major reason why this administration has failed to deliver on any of its campaign promises. Clearly, blaming others is not a quality of a true leader. A true leader must take the blame, which compels him to look for solutions.

The Mortification of Ngige
It is puzzling that a man will be defending the marginalisation of his people by a government, simply because he is part of the government. That was the scenario that played out this week at the Town Hall meeting for the South-east region organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Enugu. The obsessive Minister of Labour ‎and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, a son of the soil, deemed it fit to defend the lopsided appointments so far made by President Buhari. He struggled to deflate criticisms of the appointments made by his principal, stressing that anyone in position of authority would work with people he could trust. The minister got appropriate response from his people as he was booed repeatedly. The gathering responded by repetitively shouting “No oooo”, to him. At a point, the hall became uncontrollable, and it took a lot of effort for the organisers to restore order. Rather than fighting for his people, Ngige chose to fight for his pocket. He has suddenly forgotten that power should be used for the benefit of the people. This minister is obviously not a good student of history.