The Guilty are Afraid: Bafarawa’s mystical N13Nb Reserve

By

Dan Azumi Kofarmata

danazumikofarmata@yahoo.com

Sunday, 14 January 2007

The embattled Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa is at his game of deceit once again. The latest, but by no means new or the last, is his recent celebration of banking the sum of thirteen billion naira (N13bn) for the impoverished 3.5 million people of Sokoto State, whom had the misfortune of being misgoverned for over seven years since 1999. To those who are unfamiliar with the antics of Governor Bafarawa this so-called news splash of huge sums of money in the bank may seem commendable effort by a Chief Executive of a State in Nigeria today. But let us not be fooled by this playing to the public gallery that has become Governor Bafarawa’s hallmark whenever his integrity (if there is any left) is under severe attack by the conscious and enlightened segment of the Sokoto State polity.

The truth about the reserve of N13 billion; made up of N7 billion belonging to the State Government and while the 23 local governments collectively sharing about N6 billion is just merely accounting figures. Principally, these monies wherever they are saved, are already committed monies yet to be looted as at the time of this public disclosure. The reason why the public is even been informed about the existence of this mysterious so-called reserve is because of the impending scrutiny of the person of Governor Bafarawa that is going to take place soon by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agencies as a result of his venturing into the Presidential race under his personally-owned political party, the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) or People Democratic Party (PDP) in reverse order! That is the reason why Governor Bafarawa sent a bank statement of N6.1 billion reserve of the state government to the EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, his nemesis. He did a similar thing in November 2005, when he presented President Olusegun Obasanjo with a bogus cheque of the sum of N6bn, which he claimed to be the then reserve of Sokoto State Government in the banks! It all turned out to be 419!

Now, there is nowhere in our Constitution and or our national laws and regulations that a State Governor is required to submit financial report of the State to the President of Nigeria and or the Chairman of the EFCC for that matter. Such a report should be as a matter of general routine, fiscal accountability and responsibility be available to the good people of Sokoto State and the Sokoto State House of Assembly as required by the relevant provisions under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

If Governor Bafarawa wants the general public to take him seriously about his mysterious N13bn reserve, he should ask the EFCC to commission a nationally reputable accounting/auditing firm to audit both the Sokoto State Government and the 23 Local Governments Accounts and publish the details independently. This is the only path of honour, honesty, integrity and public accountability that will make the cynical public to believe and trust whatever comes out of the mouths of the Chief Executives of State Governments in this era of treasury looting by our so-called leaders at all levels of governance.  Therefore, enough is enough of these deceptive political games and lies on the pages of newspapers, airwaves and websites, all in the name of massaging bruised egos. 

One may ask of what use is the reserve of N13bn when more than five kids out of ten go to bed in Sokoto State without a proper survival meal? Of what use is the construction of over 1,000 kilometres of tarred roads (70% of these located in Sokoto town alone) when these roads are not used by modern means of transportation like cars, trucks, bikes etc but by an army of ALMAJIRIS (i.e., poverty-stricken street urchins that migrated into the towns from hunger starved villages) and cows, goats and donkeys? Of what use is spending over N1bn in the construction of an Over-head Flyover in Sokoto town when the sum total market value of all the cars and trucks in the State capital is below half that amount expended in the construction of the flyover. There are more cars and trucks on Lagos bridges at any one time than all the cars and trucks in the whole of Sokoto State!!! Of what value is this flyover to over 95 percent of the city duellers?

Of what use is this so-called ‘strong reserve’ when more than 80 percent of the school age population of the State are not in school and will not be in school for the rest of their lives? Meanwhile all the siblings of the Governor are studying abroad both for their primary, secondary and university education at the expense of the State Government.

Of what use is this reserve when only the State Governor, members of his immediate, and extended families and hangers-on have regular access to modern means of livelihoods (clean and hygienic drinking water, electricity, access to modern medicines, etc) in the state. While the teaming millions have to do without as their monies have been squandered in road construction, purchase of Air crafts, limousines, overseas mansions and holidays and medical trips etc. Of what use is this reserve when the level of poverty in Sokoto State is among the top 10 most poor and least developed States in Nigeria even though it collected over N100bn federation account share since 1999? Are these the types of legacies Governor Attahiru like to replicate nationwide if he ever becomes elected Nigeria’s President?

Governor Attahiru Bafarawa should be man enough to confront these basic questions and issues as he takes his last chunk of the Sokoto State public treasury to finance his insatiable quench of political power. The largely egocentric laughable ‘presidential ambition’ of Governor Attahiru Bafarawa is being oiled from this ‘strong reserve’ as declared on the pages of newspapers, airwaves and websites across the globe. Other beneficiaries of this reserve include newspaper editors, foreign-based website owners and public relations consultants and other willing paid spin doctors and agents eager to do his image laundering assignments. There is always a day of reckoning here and hereafter. May God Almighty save us from the greedy hands of our politicians! Amen.