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How Buhari’s Interventions Saved Governors From Embarrassment, Averted Economic Hardships In States, By Bashir Ahmad

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There is no doubt that the present administration, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, came into power at a time when the country was bedevilled with a lot of crisis, including economic hardships, security threats of Boko Haram insurgents and other challenges obstructing the smooth running of the country. That’s to the extent that, at the time, many recognized National and International agencies predicted that if not for President Buhari, Nigeria would have plunged into a serious crisis.

The situation had put the elites and the masses of the majority states of the country, if not all, into serious economic backwardness, with some giving up on paying salaries. Many state governors resorted to borrowing money despite the federal allocations to pay salaries and run other governmental responsibilities.

To some extent, some state governors resorted to hiding behind the hardships as reasons to abscond from running contracts, infrastructural development, and capital expenditures, among many other developmental activities. They indeed lost hope in providing assistance to the masses and their states.

However, with the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, as a true democrat, who always put the masses first, the president introduced many interventions to the state governors, irrespective of their parties or region, mainly to bail them out and rescue them from collapsing. As such, several states are now afloat because of the financial reliefs the Buhari administration provided for them.

The Bailout Funds

From the start, N477 billion in bailout funds were released at the instance of the President through which most states sustained themselves. Additionally, no fewer than 24 states, across party lines, had demanded and received refunds from the federal government for works done on federal roads and bridges, and records show that the refunds were to the tune of about N500 billion. Those claims certainly were not based on works done during the Buhari administration only, but also in previous administrations. This is a little of what the federal government has done between 2015 and today to ensure that states stay afloat. Honestly, without the federal government bailout, most states would have gone under.

Apart from these refunds that were made, when President Buhari came in, 27 states could not pay salaries, and the federal government had to bail those 27 states out. Not only did he give them money to pay salaries, but he also gave them a bailout to pay arrears.

The Paris Club Funds

Consequently, upon seeing the reality and the fact that the states were in difficulties and could not start any new projects, in terms of infrastructure, the federal government also gave each of them N10 billion. When the price of oil again, collapsed, and states were in trouble, the federal government gave out a bailout of a billion naira per month to each state for eight months and N800 million per month, per state, for over eight months.

Nigerians can also recall that when the states complained that they did not benefit from the Paris debt refund, the federal government gave the states their own share of the Paris Fund. I know of a northern state, where the governor, if not for Buhari will not go anywhere, received N40 billion of this Paris Club Refund.

Again, when states complained to the federal government for deducting what they owed the federal government, Mr. President also said they should be refunded because times were hard even though there were so many corruption allegations against the governors, as to whether they used the money judiciously or were diverted for something else.

Covid-19 interventions

During the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the economy of the whole world, particularly developing countries, President Buhari supported the governors with a series of interventions targeted at saving them from doing nothing while the masses were suffering.

Although some states could not appropriately use the intervention as some of them diverted them to their personal gains, the gesture cut across the country and made a significant impact. Some governors were alleged to have kept them to use during campaign periods. The availability of the Covid-19 interventions is to the extent that some states failed to utilize them and carelessly dumped them where they were affected by rain and other adverse weather conditions.

The political angle

Apart from saving the governors through such interventions, I believe Nigerians will remember how almost all the governors, especially under the platform of APC, benefitted from the popularity, patriotism, trust, and respect Nigerians have for President Buhari to win elections in their various states.

Many of them are ignorant of the fact that without him, by now, they would have been in prison. He was there for them when the masses doubted trusting them. He encouraged the masses and urged them to vote for them with the assurance that they also were like him and only wanted to get to the position to serve them. In 2019 he had to visit all the 36 states, some twice to encourage people to vote for some of these governors.

Recall that President Buhari went around the states in previous campaigns raising hands of these same APC governors, encouraging people to vote for them. A lot of them wouldn’t have been elected without that support from the president.

It is shocking, to say the least, that these people whom president Buhari helped are now turning their back against him because of a government policy whose aim is to address issues of corruption, insecurity as well as improve the economy. What we expect of them is to rally around the president, educating the people to bear with the unintended pains for bigger gains.

What Nigerians should know:

The new Naira redesign policy is not intended to cause hardship to any Nigerian. Government has taken every step to address and alleviate any unintended hardship associated with the policy. The cashless policy of the CBN is in line with global best practices for sustainability and economic prosperity.

I want Nigerians to know that President Buhari means well for all us. He does not take the trust Nigerians gave him lightly. He will continue to uphold the constitution and adhere to the oath of office he took. No government policy is without hitches in implementation. These hitches are temporary and are being addressed. Nigerians will certainly celebrate the numerous gains and benefits of these policies.

Posers…

Why is it that a selected group of politicians is suddenly allergic to this policy? Why is the loudest noice against the policy coming from this quota? What happened to their voices when policies that affected the masses were being implemented? Are they really for the masses or for their political goals? I wonder!

Bashir Ahmad, is the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital Communications

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Opinion

EXCLUSIVE: How FG Director Abandon Posting, Release Funds Against Civil Service Rules

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A Director of Accounts in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity has continued to stay in the Ministry despite approval of his Posting to the Ministry of Defence.

POLITICS DIGEST exclusively gathered that the said Treasury Officer who doubles as Director of  Accounts has continued to approve the release of funds despite his posting to another Ministry which is a breach of the civil service rules under the watch of the Permanent Secretary who is aware of what the civil service rules.

In a letter dated 12th November, the Accountant General of the Federation Oluwatosoyin Mudsin approved the Posting of the said Treasury officers with immediate effect but the officer in question Bala Saleh has continued to serve in the Ministry of Labour instead of Defence where he was posted to with immediate effect.

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Boost for Nigeria’s Oil Production, As NNPC’s Utapate Crude Grade Hits Global Oil Market

A staff of the Ministry who pleaded for anonymity told this paper that he abandoned his new posting because of the support of a retired permanent secretary while both the Minister and that of State were not aware of the said letter which is totally against the civil service rules.

However, some staff of the Ministry have confided to this paper their readiness to petition the Director in question to the ICPC.

When contacted over the matter, the spokesperson of the Ministry declined to comment and promised to call our reporter back after his findings on the matter.

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Opinion

Open Letter To His Excellency The Executive Governor Of Kano State:Need For A Balanced Composition Of Kano State Executive Council

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Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state

 

Open Letter To His Excellency The Executive Governor Of Kano State:Need For A Balanced Composition Of Kano State Executive Council

Ismail Abdu Garba

Your Excellency sir, I want to use this opportunity to call your kind attention regarding the trend followed by your predecessors to form a composition of the state executive council that is not an all-inclusive which fails to address the need for every local government to be well represented in line with the principle of federal character establishment. The negligence or oversight of this administrative arrangement has become a typical set back that led to marginalization of Warawa L.G.A since its establishment by law in 1991, undermining not only its human capacity development but also the general welfare of its indigenes as evident in the few development projects so far executed by the state.
Sir, none of your predecessors on record has ever given us fair representation or equal opportunity through appointment to serve as a member of the state executive council either as Commissioner or Special Adviser since the establishment of Warawa Local Government. Adopting a similar trend by your administration Your Excellency is a great set back to your performance indicators for good governance towards fulfilling your campaign promises.
Among all of the twenty-four (24) Commissioners and about thirty-two (32) Special Advisers whom you appointed, and were cleared before the State Assembly, none is an indigene of Warawa L.G.A. Not only that Your Excellency Sir, so far all of your political appointment for the various position of heads of respective Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) ranging from about (7) Director General DGs, ( 44) Managing Directors MDs and Deputies, Executive Directors EDs, (5) Executive Secretary ES, and even Project Coordinators none is an indigene of Warawa L.G.A.

Your Excellency Sir only if you imagine having a similar composition of Federal Executive Council members at the Federal level without Kano State having any ministerial position designated (not even minister of state) while another state gets two or more, then it appears how disheartening is this recurring marginalization to the extent that a ward from another L.G.A will end up having two or more appointees and even an additional appointment as head of some MDAs while Warawa as a constitutionally recognized L.G.A end up with none.

Ismail Madari

Ismail Madari

With the exception of state constituency allocation and the ongoing 5 km entrance road projects, no presence of road developmental projects sponsored by the state as obtainable in other L.G.A that are well represented in the Council and beyond. Warawa L.G.A is autonomous like every other Local Government Area. Both the constitution and electoral act made it mandatory no single election into the office of the executive governor of Kano state will be declared conclusive without the votes of this administratively neglected local government area.
For this reason and beyond, in the principle of justice, fairness and equity we call upon you to kindly address the issue by giving us fair and equal opportunity to develop this resourceful Local Government Area. Our interest is to be part of the history to be written in gold by this administration, as we are part of the struggle that brought it on board.
Thank You.

Yours Sincerely,

Engr. Ismail Abdu Garba
Lecturer / Research scholar
Member, Kwankwasiyya Scholars Assembly KSA
Chairman, Warawa Education Election Campaign Committee (2019&2023)
Email – madaarie@gmail.com

Phone Number:08032868665

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Opinion

Kano APC Youth Coalition, Nasir Ja’o’ji and Party Survival

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By Abba Anwar

At cursory look of the title of this piece, what readily comes to mind, is the existing relationship between Kano APC Youth Coalition and Nasir Bala Ja’o’ji, in APC realignment process or procedure. This really captures the picture clearly from the surface. But there is more to it.

Kano APC Youth Coalition came into being more as a one-man-show, probably self-styled and crafty moved. But subsequent engagements of the Coalition, proves otherwise. Some people thought, the Coalition came handy canvassing for primary support for some quasi – politicians, unproductive as they appear, who always hide behind the scene and make a cover under good image of the party leadership at all levels.

Many people, including me, thought this Coalition under Adamu Unguwar Gini, would operate in desperation, under the guise of recuperating party youth into one basket for misleading purpose. As some elders, would-be-elders and self – acclaimed elders operate from clandestine position.

For sure the Coalition, prepared before its debut. Party elders, leaders and other stakeholders were contacted for direction and guide. This, I was not told, but I observed. I understand this by looking at its growing process. I equally understood that, the leadership of the Coalition was one time tilted towards particular side of the prism. But experience and good intention, in my view, necessitated for spreading the leadership into all sections of the state.

It is this strategy, among others, that gave individuals like Hon Nasir Bala Ja’o’ji, to see reason in aiding the movement. Though he is the Zonal Leader of the movement, from Kano Central. But his contribution towards having effective and efficient implementation of the core central objectives of the group, that is making the party stronger and domineering at all levels, gives him the courage to be one of the principal stakeholders.

The recently announced donation of Eighty Eight Million Naira (N88m) to the Coalition for the 44 local governments tour and empowerment of 100 people from each local government, says a lot in his enduring commitment to the expansion and making the party strong enough to compete comfortably come 2027, at both state and national elections.

The proposed local governments tour and empowerment programme scheduled for time to come, is an important pointer to the fact that, this Coalition has very strong and fearless individuals that are ready to sacrifice their time, energy and resources towards political alignment and realignment within the party structure.

People like Musaddique Wada Waziri, Malam Abdussalam Ishaq (Kumbotso), Umar Maiwayo Rimingado, my younger brother Inyass Habibu, Ibrahim Danyaro, Jijitar, Abubakar Indabawa, former Vice Chairman, Warawa, Dini Manchester Kankarofi, Abubakar Aminu, Hon Barwa, Sani Gilashi, Danfillo, Idris Zango, among many others, are playing very critical role in strengthening the grip of the party across the state and the nation at large.

One interesting thing about this combination is, here are important actors, who, for strategic reason, come from all “sides” of the party stalwarts. Party stalwarts because they are the shining stars of the party in the state.

Stars like Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, former Deputy Governor and Gubernatorial Candidate for 2023 election, HE Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, former Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs and Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate for 2023 election, HE Murtala Sule Garo, Hon Abubakar Kabir Bichi, among others.

But all the Stars above lineup behind our Flagship, the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, CON.

After critical review of the intention of the Coalition, Nasir Ja’o’ji comes to believe that, this Coalition means well for the party. And should therefore be facelifted, encouraged, guided and supported. After believing that, the Unguwar Gini led group, “… belongs to everybody and does not belong to anybody…”, Ja’o’ji made it compulsory to always give a helping hand to the group. More importantly, since the Coalition means genuine support for the party at all levels.

Let me still insist that, if Ja’o’ji a political appointee under President Tinubu, as a member Governing Council, of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum, Yobe State, can do this, contributing N88m, I’m sure other political appointees under the same administration can also replicate.

Because supporting Coalition in the same pace and manner, equals to supporting the party, the National Chairman, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the same time. In my view therefore, Ja’o’ji apart from being a pacesetter among all political appointees from Kano, he is genuinely a firm believer of APC programmes and policies.

My appeal is for the National Chairman of the party, Baba Ganduje, and the Tinubu led administration, to kindly see reason for continued support for the Coalition and similar ones across all the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

As Unguwar Gini model shows in Kano, Coalition of this nature is not taking away any responsibility of party leadership. We can see how harmonious is the relationship between APC Youth Coalition and state leadership of the party, under Prince Abdullahi Abbas. Another pillar of great substance.

Neutrality of this Coalition, in my own understanding, is clearly manifested in how our shining stars give helping hands to the movement. They are eager to give resources and moral support. It is indeed the neutral posture that gives Ja’o’ji the strength to be of that magnitude.

Anwar, was Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and can be reached at fatimanbaba1@gmail.com

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