Yobe: The Tale of a Blind Umpire and How N3.4 Billion Was Wasted in Two Months
By
Najib Jiril

In less than 3 months of so-called democratic leadership, it now appears clearly to the impoverished people of Yobe State that their prayers, anxieties and age-long dream of getting a responsible leadership have turned out to be a disastrous mirage, which is threatening to injure their collective interest and desire. Going by what has been seen and from authoritative information gathered so far, Governor Mamman Ali's promise of ensuring probity, accountability and transparent government, which was declared publicly, is just a gimmick aimed at creating conducive atmosphere for looting public resources. More baffling and alarming is the manner in which Governor Mamman Ali has isolated everyone and dubiously created a means that has made him the only beneficiary of inflated contracts, supplies and other policies/programmes of government, targeted at making millions from government coffers. This is a bit different from what Yobeans saw during the Bukar Abba Ibrahim era. As such, their dream of having a responsible and pragmatic leader after 8 years of maladministration and corruption has been shattered so prematurely by the greedy and vaulting ambition of a so-called leader, who preaches probity and fear of God.

Now, Governor Ali's unmitigated arrogance, outright abuse of executive powers, autocratic approach to official issues, consistent display of greed and flagrant disregard for the Yobe State House of Assembly, has severely affected the credibility of the infant regime, thus dashing the people's hope and confidence in him. The need for all these yearnings, which was the fundamental reason of  supporting and voting for Mamman Ali, has been grossly abused, with an unfolding plot to do even more against the overall interest of the people. And for fear of worsening the situation, I will be consistent in exposing and educating the general public on the unfolding plot to once more plunder the state's resources in the name of reforms, purchases, salary verification, contract awards, training programmes, course sponsorship, incorporating new companies and transaction with banks.

This is because nearly N2 billion has so far been diverted by the Mamman Ali administration in less than 3 months through fraudulent transactions, dubious commitments and unnecessary expenditures. This is in addition to devising hideous means of defrauding the state through 'consultants' from within and outside the country. Again, the state's account and the local government joint account are being recklessly manipulated by the governor.

For instance, the state's account, which was initially managed by three banks, was transferred to Afribank, simply because the bank's management gave Governor Mamman Ali 100 million shares with a commitment of similar gratification every month from the proceeds. In another fraud marshalled in the guise of sanitizing the state, Colonel Mamman Ali (as he is now fondly called due to his autocratic approach to official issues) has directed all Yobe State civil servants to open a mandatory salary account in Bank PHB, Damaturu. And apart from unnecessary delay of salary payment experienced since he took over as governor, the compulsory exercise has subjected civil servants to untold hardship and inconveniences.

In fact, Bank PHB, Damaturu cannot handle the payment of civil servants' monthly salaries for obvious lack of sufficient personnel and spacious environment that can contain the increasing number of reluctant customers. But Colonel Mamman Ali has benefited immensely from a deal that saw most civil servants maintaining salary accounts in one bank, a bank that promised paying him 20 percent of any accruing interest and shares of unspecified amount. That was why he decided to increase the personal income tax of civil servants from 2 percent to 5 percent, a whooping increase that has severely affected the monthly earnings of civil servants. One can imagine that even in his meanest display of autocracy, former President Olusegun Obasanjo never imposed any condition on the payment of federal civil servants' salaries. But Colonel Ali is the only governor in Nigeria, who has imposed such unreasonable and unpopular condition on civil servants for his selfish interest.

Normally, civil servants reserve the inalienable right to choose banks they want to patronize. But Yobe people and in fact the trade unions and the Nigeria Labour Congress in Yobe State are helpless because they don't know their rights. For God's sake, there are many ways to detect, fish out and deal with ghost workers without undermining the rights and privileges of civil servants. There is no justification whatsoever for what Colonel Mamman is doing, as his motive is to promote the interest of Bank PHB so as to fulfill its commitment to him. What arrant selfishness!

Alarmingly, Governor Mamman Ali spent N3.4 billion in two months on projects and expenditures that were not part of the 2007 budget. These huge expenditures were hurriedly incurred before the inauguration of the House of Assembly and State Executive Council and without presenting supplementary budget even after the legislators were reluctantly inaugurated after a series of blackmail and intrigues. As earlier stated, Governor Mamman Ali has no regard for the legislators and members of the State Executive Council, who are just political rubber stamps; and the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, has been relegated to the background, as Baba Ciroma is today the de facto Deputy Governor and  the Secretary to the State Government (SSG). Commissioners, permanent secretaries and other appointees must go through Baba Ciroma before their complaints or requests are entertained. Imagine that the Gashua/Nguru Road project was originally estimated to cost N200 million by the Yobe State Ministry of Works but Governor Mamman Ali demonstrated 'probity' by inflating it to N900 million. Even at that, an upward review was expected before the project's completion.  He also awarded direct labour for the fencing of the College of Administrative and Business Studies (CABS) Potiskum at an inflated cost of N74 million, whereas N15 million was enough to execute the project.

A bullet-proof Hummer Jeep equipped with modern communication gadgets at an exorbitant cost of N50 million for the governor’s exclusive use, is also part of the N3.4 billion that was extravagantly disbursed in less than 3 months and before the inauguration of both the House and the State Executive Council by the Mamman Ali administration. He unilaterally approved and released N371.9 million for what he referred to as 'telephone and installation of wireless Internet service in Damaturu'. How can such a huge expenditure be justified in a state that has poor healthcare facilities, decaying school system and absence of water for both human and animal consumption? At the Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum for example, students cannot stay in their hostels during the rainy season because of their leaky roofs; the students' dining hall has been converted to their new hostel, even though it has been inhabitable over the years. This is happening at a time when our 'God-fearing' governor is spending N50million to buy one car and over N371million for a wireless Internet that will not benefit the population because of ignorance, diseases and poverty.

In yet another demonstration of 'probity' and respect for the rule of law, Governor Mamman Ali claims spending N32 million on the renovation of the Yobe State House of Assembly chamber, fixing its public address system without its approval and its inauguration. But some members of the legislature say N7 million is enough to cater for the minor renovation but they are helpless to demand for due process and reject the manner in which they are being handled, owing to the fact that Governor Ali has blackmailed them by sufficiently using their past record (whereby projects awarded to them were not executed) to demand for maximum loyalty, without which the EFCC will be invited to probe them.

Funny it is that Baba Ciroma was the contractor who handled the renovation of the chamber. He is also the de facto commissioner, permanent secretary and director of Local Government Finance in the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. Ciroma also supplied over 40 Peugeot 406 cars at an inflated cost of N4.7 million per unit. In addition to fraudulently making a profit of N1.5 on each car, Ciroma did not supply the requested Peugeot Prestige model. Even the official vehicles for the legislators were supplied at an unacceptable cost by Baba Ciroma, coupled with the fact that his boss, Mamman Ali, has incorporated and introduced several companies that are being used as conduit pipes for siphoning public funds.

Mohammed Abacha and Dauda Yahaya are now the victims of Mamman Ali's greed because they have been reduced to nothing by the governor and Baba Ciroma. Even the Accountant-General, Umaru Babayo, has been reduced to a mere spectator.

Equally, Governor Mamman Ali withdrew over N300 million from the state's coffers to sponsor permanent secretaries to the United Kingdom for a 3-month trash called training programme, whereas Nigerian institutions offer some of the best management courses or training programmes in the world. And out of this sum, over N200 million was allegedly shared between the governor and the foreign 'consultant', which was why he did not give any details to either the members of the House of Assembly or to the people of Yobe State.

In a reckless display of official flamboyance and brazen disregard of the interest of the people who gave him the mandate, the 'God-fearing' governor recently distributed more than 70 Umrah seats among his Jimeta (Fulani) allies, political associates and families of his Abuja/Maiduguri capitalist friends, exclusively using the resources of our beloved state. Engineer Buba Galadima and his family were also rewarded with 7 Umrah seats as a gesture for what he has done. It is instructive that this insensitive gesture at a time of extreme difficulties and incessant frustrations and delays in the payment of salaries has not been extended to any ordinary member of our state. Despite the financial capability of our former governor and considering the fact that Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim is an elected representative with all privileges and entitlements, our self- acclaimed righteous governor (Mamman Ali) has included him and his family in the Umrah bonanza that will cost the state government more than N50 million. Senator Bukar Abba was given 10 Umrah seats while his three wives were given 3 seats each, all with traveling allowances including accommodation, feeding and logistic expenses. The two wives of Governor Mamman Ali were also given 10 Umrah seats each and all other expenses will be borne by an administration which publicly complains of lack of money because of huge salary burden resulting from incidence of ghost workers.

In short, Governor Mamman Ali is the only state executive in the whole country who never spends 10 days in Yobe State. In fact, the state capital is not even conducive for him. He always shuttles from Maiduguri to Abuja. It is rather unfortunate that we have so much to write about an administration that wasted billions of naira in less than 3 months in office. It is however saddening that Yobe State is the most unfortunate state in Nigeria today because we are not blessed with responsible leaders. But we will continue to expose them even at the risk of our lives. This is just the beginning of the tale of a blind umpire.
Nazib Jibrin