Date Published: 08/21/09
Local Govts as Conduit Pipe
By Maliki Salaudeen
It is becoming clearer by the day that the silent majority who kicked against the imposition of cronies to govern at the third tier of government in Nigeria on the grounds of its undemocratic and unpopular nature, coupled with the (cronies) individual incompetence are gradually being vindicated. This is because currently, in most PDP controlled states, where such doubting Thomases were called all sorts of names for their objection to impose questionable characters to man the local govts, most of them have started thumbing their chests, saying with sanctimonious flourish “we have told you earlier”.
A case in point is the unfolding events that are rearing their ugly heads in Hong Local government area of Adamawa State. Yours sincerely and a league of other concerned citizens who vehemently moved against the imposition of Ibrahim Gayus at the detriment of more responsible and qualified council chairmen materials, have been proved right after all. This is due largely to the fact that, since assumption to office by this guy barely 4 months ago, one is tempted to say that the fine attributes of a good leader have been trampled upon with a bit of recklessness. Indeed, it is a sad commentary that the hitherto highly respected Council area is fast acquiring a disturbing image owing to the way and manner it is being administered in questionable and cult-like circumstances.
In several inexplicable moves that have inadvertently exposed the Chairman’s incompetence and predilection for alleged criminal acquisitive propensities, he has been awarding mouth-watering and over-inflated contracts/supplies to his godfather’s female friends, relations and his cronies without recourse to due process. Also, since his imposition by a fellow impostor, payment of staff salaries/allowances has permanently remained a herculean task. This is inspite of the prompt monthly allocation to the council from the Federation Account. Under the immediate past council, monthly salaries and allowances were paid as at when due. One will therefore not be wrong to say that, Ibrahim Gayus’ inability to sustain the same tempo of his predecessor is attributed to his alleged profligacy in the handling of the finances of the Local government. This he may be doing, through mismanagement of the Council’s huge sums of money to oil his personal political machine and that of those who planted him on the exalted seat.
Sequel to these corrupt tendencies, he is being discussed in hush tones, that he has just taken delivery of 3 petrol tankers for personal use at a whopping sum of over 20 million naira. An employee of the dealer, through whom the vehicles were purchased, volunteered that “each of the vehicles attracts about 7 million naira”. He maintained that “though only 50% of the money was paid upfront, the remaining balance would be paid instrumentally as stated in the sales agreement by both parties”.
As our man flounders from one avoidable crisis to another, his stay in office as a stooge, has continued to attract opprobrium from civil servants and politicians alike. While the workers are angered by his diversion of their accumulated salary for several months to his personal use, members of the political class are not happy either, considering the Chairman’s ostentatious lifestyle, using public funds at his disposal. He is barely tolerated by these categories of people who see him as an impostor and irritant.
Godfathers settlement by their stooges recently reported by some national dailies is said to hamper development and prompt payment of salaries to civil servants in the local governments. It’s no more news that, Hong LGA is culpable in the saga. According to impeccable sources pieced together in Hong and Yola, a substantial amount of money in the neighbourhood of 3 and 5 million naira monthly settlement, is disbursed to Aliyu Idi Hong, a serving junior minister who imposed him on the people last May. It is further rumoured that, the pact signed between the duo, since assumption to office, will go on till the logical end of the present council.
It is against this background, that even people considered too close to our man agree that, really he has been a bit reckless with the funds of the council. Infact, the Chairman’s peripatic proclivity is legendary. For example, aside from his insatiable lust in visiting beer parlous to drink and womanize, he is permanently based in the state capital at detriment of the job, since his installation as the “Emperor” of Hong on 2/5/2009.
According to his traducers, the Chairman sees himself as possessing the legendary wisdom of the biblical King Solomon and as such, he does not brook any opposition to his new lifestyle and or acquisitive propensity. Through weird means, I gathered that he has cowed both junior and senior personnel of the council in submission. But using diabolical means to instill fear into civil servants, working to earn a living, turning them into lollipops and ramming jaundiced decisions down their unwilling throats, should not be anybody’s idea of a genuine leadership.
What is paramount is to settle down and work for the generality of the people. Although it is not the people that elected him to power, but an individual, however, this is the time when there is a begging need to alleviate the tears – inducing plight of an agrarian society such as Hong LGA.
The current council’s lack of respect for the sanctity of truth, accountability and transparency means nothing to its leadership. The Chairman’s life does not epitomize accountability at all, his sanctimonious preachments on anti-corruption at meetings with staff and at council meetings notwithstanding. That is why, despite the over 100 million naira monthly allocation to the Local government from the Federation Account, Hong LGA especially under Ibrahim Gayus had remained in strait jacket, lacking basic necessities to function property like its counterpart in the state. If one takes a trip to the area as at the time of putting this piece together, even a drooling imbecile will discover that, Hong LGA is run like a cult. It is this politburo-style of Mr. Gayus’ administration that is ruffling not a few feathers there.
And if all the fears and apprehensions expressed by the staff and residents that, the Chairman is turning the Local government into a moribund organization, through alleged mindless looting are anything to go by, then the time to act and decisively too by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is now. At least to salvage the organization and careers of the teeming innocent civil servants there, the anti graft body under the able leadership of Farida Waziri, currently investigating some LG officials in Adamawa for similar financial recklessness, should not leave in haste. They should beam their searchlight on activities of the current leadership in Hong Local government area, so that sanity will be restored.
Maliki Salaudeen is of the Network of Good Governance based in Yola.
