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The Governor Aliyu Wamakko In Every Nigerian By Max Gbanite
When I read a headline screamer on the front page of Tribune Newspaper, Friday October 26th 2012, that “Governor Wamakko beat PHCN employee” I went into a dancing - frenzy like a Pentecostal Pastor on a preaching crusade. After the celebration, I called Sokoto to speak to friends who could tell it as it was. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed to learn from them that His Excellency, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Governor of Sokoto state never flogged or beat up anyone. Although, I and many Nigerians would have loved that he actually did. Many Nigerians would love to have all the executives and staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria brought together to a field in every local government for Public whipping by people in those local government areas for the manner and ways they (PHCN) have taken so much financially from these poor folks, yet, have given so little in power. These PHCN mafia invented languages like ‘blown transformers’, ‘Low voltage’, ‘low water in the Dam’; ‘no gas for generation’ ‘oga anything for the boys’, and all sorts of rubbish-jargon, all designed to corrupt the society.
Imagine the fact that those of us who use prepaid meters don’t even have light after having paid in advance; they enjoy our money in advance while we are in darkness; the staff are worse than police men on check-points; they take money from those who are still using the old meters, they connect people directly illegally without the money going into government coffers. Nigerians would indeed cherish the opportunity to bring a representative from each Local Government (LGA) to eagle square; each given a ‘coboko’; and given the opportunity to flog the former President, Gen. OlusegunObasanjo, GCFR, all former and current ministers of Ministry of Power including their director’s, top and middle management of PHCN, all generation managers, distribution managers, and marketing managers, daily for 365 days for what they have done to Nigerian psyche, power-wise.
Imagine the squandering of 16 Billion Dollars and more, yet the sector has not helped generate the industries required to employ our teeming youths. I even recall paying Twenty Five Thousand Naira to PHCN office in Wuse II (OT Carpet area) Abuja, for a single phase meter for my Boy Quarters (BQ), and this is the third year, and no meter or my money back. I wish I have the whip and strength to flog them.
Then, I recall consulting for GUR INT’L LTD.; they were awarded a contract to reconstruct the water containment level of JEBBA DAM, before they could mobilize to site, a conniving Director in the ministry of Power, Mr. Sanusi Garba, manipulated the books, and the contract was re-awarded to another company for Nine Billion Naira, whereas the original contract was for 1.9 Billion Naira. Because of this director’s corrupt action, two directors of GUR INT’L LTD, died of heart attacks.
Back to Sokoto state and the good people of Wamakko. It was reported by the media that the state government had embarked on a robust Local Government Electrification projects, as promised by the governor to fulfil his election campaign promise, and that 17 million naira was paid to PHCN to bring this to fruitation in the town of Wamakko, and the amount was based on PHCN’s cost submission, yet, for more than two years PHCN kept telling one story to another.
Again, at the beginning of every month, PHCN gets another 10 million naira from the state as part of their bills in advance. The SA media to the governor in a Press release said that, “for more than a decade the entire staff of PHCN in Sokoto have lived in a bubble, living large on the proceeds of a hatched scam which keep them smiling to the bank on a regular basis, and to say that the scheme has the blessing and tacit endorsement of division heads of the organization is an understatement.” he went further to say that, “In Sokoto, the PHCN is worse than the Police in terms of organized corruption. That probably explains why the Kaduna regional office quickly rose to the defence of the division in its time of travail.”
So this probably explains the rapidity with which resources were deployed to some media houses for this to make splashing headline news just to embarrass the governor.
Back to my experience, on Thursday October 25th, 2012, (a day before Sallah) which was a Public holiday, the feeder transformer supplying Power to the estate where I reside Blew-up. The estate manager called PHCN emergency unit, when they came, they (PHCN) said that, “officially it will take 3-4 weeks to repair but if the estate drops 25 thousand naira for Sallah we can do it with immediate effect.” The estate manager complied, and as is written in the Holy Bible “There was light.” Now, with this attitude of Sallah settlement and ‘strong-arm-twisting-tactics’ by PHCN, the S.A media described this scenario, “believing that the governor of Sokoto is eager to impress his people, Moses (an employee of PHCN), who holds the aces for the delivery of power to the General Hospital, the University, the mosque and other decent places in Wammako town, decides to hoarde the switches. Wamakko people thus have been without electricity. Consequently, patients began to desert hospitals, the taps ceased to flow, epidemics began to spread and the complaints in the town reached the governor.” he continued “the governor had to act fast. Since Wamakko town is only a stone-throw from the capital city centre and cannot be factored into rural electricity scheduled under which the governor has, in the last couple of years electrified over 300 towns and villages in the state, the suburb depended solely on PHCN. And PHCN saw this as a perfect storm and they rode on it. When they were called in to find a solution to the problem, they gave Governor Wamakko another bill of 17 Million Naira. He again, paid promptly.
But months after collecting the said sum, the town of Wamakko remained in darkness. Upset and rightly so, the governor invited the manager and sought an explanation or a refund, and all this happened in the presence of police not attached to the governor, but were invited as observers, the governor never touched or flogged anyone as was earlier reported in the media.”
Nigerians commensurate with the good people of Sokoto, especially, the people of Wamakko, for this horrible embarrassment and blackmail from PHCN. We pray that none of those patients in the hospital who had to be relocated are stabilized; what a trauma it would have been for them. However, suffice it to say that, we as Nigerians are truly disappointed that the governor did not lose his temper and flog the living day lights out of this particular PHCN staff. Had he done so, many of us would have rejoiced knowing fully well that he had done what we would have wanted to do individually; rejoicing that he acted on our collective behalf; knowing that by his actions we dealt with PHCN corrupt officials, because, there is a Wamakko in every Nigerian. |