Can Ali Sheriff Break The Continuity Jinx?

By

Tahiru Bala

tahiru_bala07@yahoo.com

 

 

The political climate in Borno State is saturated with healthy and unhealthy rivalries among the different political parties in the State. But the common sights are the acrimonies exhibited by the two popular parties in the State the all Nigeria people’s party (ANPP) and the peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

       

Presently the ruling party has almost demystified the remaining political parties at both the State assembly and local Government levels. Political leaders in the State were seen cross carpeting to the ruling party at the tail end of Governor Ali Sheriff’s tenure hoping he will succeed in 2007 elections.

       

What then must have informed the cross over? Is it because of the level of work on ground or the desire to identify with the winning side in the 2007 Gubernatorial election? The level of work done is actually amazing if one goes round to see the number of projects executed by the Ali Sheriff administration. Road were constructed in the hearts and outskirt of the state capital, water which has been a problematic area in the state has been taken care of to further endear the administration to people of the state. Hospitals are constructed within and outside the state capital. A number of Housing Units were put in place in Maiduguri and all the 27 Local Governments Areas of the state. These and more of progressive works can win people into the fold of the ruling ANPP.

       

On the other hand, the opposition believe that Borno State has received from the Federal Government the largest statutory allocation ever an when compared to the work on ground you will be left with no option but to say to whom much is given much is expected in terms of projects, and Ali Sheriff need to do much more.

 

Political reflections of the second republic shows that the then Borno Governor Alhaji Mohammed Goni has done a lot in terms of development Projects but when it came to the  polls he was regardless of performance floored by the same people that elected him in 1979. Many people said Goni lost his come back bid because he changed his political party, from the defunct Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP) to defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

       

Another recent examples is the tenure of former Borno State Governor Alhaji Mala Kachalla who was all conquering in terms of people cross carpeting to his political party then the Nigeria People’s Party (NPP) now ANPP. Governor Mala Kachalla lost his seat, which according to many politicians was due to his inability to remain in ANPP. He changed the “the winning horse” that is ANPP to Alliance for Democracy (AD) and that cost him the exalted seat to usher in Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

       

Apart from the party change the administration of Mala Kachallah’s could not mend fences with civil servants of the state who went on 2 months strike to paralyse the essential services of the state for a long time up to the polling days.

 

The government of Ali Sheriff has learned from the mistakes of the past administrations. He did not allow a single plan for workers strike action to manifest, knowing the consequences of such plans.

       

Recently Sheriff paid civil servants their leave grants, and also planned more goodies to pacify the work force in order to avoid anything like strike action in his tenure.

 

Politicians on the opposition also believe that workers are denied of their promotions for 3 years where they are promoted they don’t enjoy the benefits of such promotions and that Borno State government has not implemented the 12:5 percent salary increase that is enjoyed even in neighbouring Yobe State.

       

The opposition particularly, PDP are no match to Governor Ali Modu Sheriff when you view them from the perspective of Kashim Imam holding party machineries that will in the end present him as their gubernatorial candidate at the expense of other contending political heavy weight who are saying Kashim should give chance to honourable Umara Kumalia since he (Kashim) has test run and crashed against Ali Sheriff in the 2003 elections. To many political observers if Ali Sheriff can beat Kashim once he can beat him twice therefore, PDP should change their candidate if only they want to win. The acrimonies between some PDP stalwarts has in the past caused raw and is still seen to be the greatest minus against PDP in the state, when it comes putting their heads together to have a common front. Unity of purpose is the weapon that has eluded Borno PDP in the past and it will from the looks of things remain elusive to return Ali Sheriff to power come 2007.

       

The state has recently experienced some political assassination attempts that suggested unhealthy rivalry in the state polity, first was the attack on Maiduguri Metropolitan Council Chairman Alhaji Baba Kura Shettima who defended himself in a shoot-out with the assassins at his residence. The most recent attempt was on the ANPP party secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Adamu who also defended himself in the shoot-out to come out unscratched.

       

Whoever is behind these assassination attempts should forget this evil idea that will only kill our nascent democracy. PDP’s struggle to feature a good candidate for the 2007 election is beginning to manifest, when honourable Umara Kumalia toured the northern part of the state with his campaign train while Kashim Imam was busy solidifying his party machineries, dishing out “Ramadan gifts”.

       

The PDP is seen to be loosing its heavy weights to ANPP. We saw Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda moving to ANPP to become the SSG. Senator Maina Ma’aji is also said to be on the verge of officially declaring for ANPP. Alhaji Ibrahim Bunu and many other PDP strong men were speculated to have made some contacts in ANPP.

       

Ali Sheriff is a smart politician who plans every political move in advance, the question is has he planned well against the remaining   people that refused to cross carpet to his party? Is there any opposition that will come to him as a surprise? I doubt much if this political tactician has not made contingency plans for such surprises that are likely to come up.

       

Coming to talk of the hosing units constructed in the state and local governments, it will be worthy of mention to say that people of the state are in dare need of the houses and President Olusegun Obasanjo in his usual tight schedule couldn’t come to Maiduguri to commission the project along side hospitals, roads and many other completed project across the state. The President postponed the first commissioning date in good faith and we expect him to quickly fix another date so that people who are desperately in need of those houses could  get them after the ceremony.

 

The political scenario in Borno State is such that makes me fear the eventual; clash of political thugs from both the PDP and ANPP. These thugs are daily increasing because both parties are intending to use them as “personal security guards” during the forth-coming elections.

 

The thugs were seen attacking each other in various political gatherings. Just last week some went and remove all the flags of ANPP in Bulabulin ward of Maiduguri. Wait for a while there will be counter attack by the other side in retaliation.

       

The physical appearance of the youth signifies to people like me that slight provocation such as flag removals could cause confusion from both sides. When the going gets though in 2007 we shall see the shaft separated from the grains and thereafter we shall see whether Governor Ali Sheriff will break the jinx of succeeding himself or not, a feat that has never been achieved in the history of Borno State.

 

 

TAHIRU BALA

Dept of Mass Communication,

University of Maiduguri.