Date Published: 01/27/10

Wamakko: Challenge of Political Enmity through Abuse of Public Funds in Sokoto State By Abdullahi Abubakar uadanjabo@yahoo.com

Recent revelation by some bonafide DPP stalwarts at the National Headquarters of the party, Abuja, vindicated earlier statements by the former Governor Bafarawa’s supporters that governor Wamakko is using all his available arsenal include state government own machinery to humiliate their master.     

The growing popularly of former Sokoto state governor Alhaji Attahiru Bafarwa is giving his political opponents sleepless nights and undue heartache, more especially as the new platform ‘Mega movement’ is waxing stronger and has become a great threat to PDP. But many have wondered why Governor Wamakko’s political group are bent on creating chaos and confusion in Bafarawa’s camp through his paid cohorts masquerading as bonafide DPP stalwarts.

It is a well know fact that since the nullification of the 2007 governorship election by the Kaduna Appeal Court in 2008, there had been several attempts and desperate moves by Wamakko’s paid mascots to destabilize the DPP  so that his administration will have unfettered access to the ongoing pillage of state resources without being challenged by the oppositions.

Due to the desperation of Gov. Wamakko to remain in power and fear that his days are numbered because of his ineligibility to contest for the re-run elections, as was declared by the Kaduna Appeal Court, in 2008. infact, it was such fears that warranted the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry to investigate the state Local Government Joint Account operated by the Administration of Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa.

To many the setting up of the state Commission of Inquiry was a step in the right direction but in concrete terms, the Panel of Inquiry setup by Wamakko was just a mere ploy to ensure that his perceived opponents especially Bafarawa and the DPP governorship candidate Alhaji Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi were humiliated through frivolous allegation of financial sleaze. The intention was to use all instrument available to deter Dingyadi from pursuing his legitimate mandate at the courts.

It is clear to all and sundry that the state Commission of inquiry deviated from the initial terms of reference given to it by only investigate the operations of the Bafarawa’s administration from 2003 to 2007 rather than from 1999 to 2007 as was recommended to it by the Transition Committee. Nigerians really want to know why the Commission of Inquiry did not investigates in totality the 8 years tenure of the immediate past administration but choose to focus on the operations of 4 years rather than the whole tenure.

But what even surprised pundits in the state was the hasty manner in which the state adopted the recommendations of the panel of inquiry’s reports. To our utmost surprise, less than 48 hours after the final report of the Commission of Inquiry was submitted by its chairman, the State government hurriedly released a paper indicting Bafarawa and his associates even threatening to prosecute them at the State Property Recovery Commission, if they fail to return the sum of N 2.9 Billion allegedly misappropriated.

Many wondered why governor Wamakko in his desperation hurriedly went to EFCC rather than allowing the State Public Property Recovery Panel to do its work and recover the funds allegedly diverted. But what it is even amusing is the current efforts by some hirelings masquerading as DPP stalwarts to create confusion in the party.

Their hatchet plan as sponsored by state government through one member of the state House of Assembly are some food of though for the continue annihilation and intimidation from the Wamakko’s government on humiliating Bafarawa anyhow. The group claimed that they were in possessions of all the needed transaction include documents of bank tellers between them and the government of Sokoto, payment of Office and accommodation rented by the state government through SSG’s office.

DPP, since its creation did not have any faction and at the moment lacked one except the one created in the minds of Wamakko and his spin doctors, who are desperate to render the party comatose. It is indeed clear that Hon. Ibrahim Almustapha, the Minority Whip in the Sokoto House of Assembly and one of the 6 DPP members in the house is one of the tools being used by Wamakko to create faction in the party.

One wonders who is behind Hon. Almustapha’s efforts to create division within the ranks of the DPP leadership. How can a lawmaker, who was elected under the platform of DPP, should abandon his primary duties of legislation to that instrument of destabilization. What is even ridiculous is that Hon. Almustapha is creating a faction where none exists. DPP does not have a faction and the purported factional chairman, who is parading himself as chairman of DPP should be ignored by Nigerian and treated as a fester and jobber that he is. a paid mascot who has failed to differentiate between truth and falsehood.

We have it on good authority that the purported faction never existed nor recognized by INEC but was a creation of Wamakko to discredit the BOT chairman and the Presidential candidate in the 2007 election Alhaji Bafarawa. We are indeed aware that Hon. Almustapha is a paid mascot and hatchet man who pretends to be working to salvage DPP but in concrete terms is working in tandem with the state government for his selfish ambition and lucre.

But the question that is begging for an answer is why governor Wamakko is allegedly funding DPP with a monthly allocation of N1 million through the office of the Secretary to the State Government, while he is a leader in PDP. 

Many pundits are indeed worried that state resources are being used on frivolous activities and political misadventure which is of no benefit to the citizenry. If not, why should a governor continue to sustain on amorphous group with a N1Million public trust as monthly remittance to the account of the one purported chairman Mr. Biodun Ogunbiyi, when there is no faction in DPP as stated in their Press brief.

In fact, we are indeed happy that the state government was chasing shadows by expending huge sums of state resources on a discredited group, despite the fact that INEC had refused to grants recognition to the stage managed charlatans being spear headed by Hon. Almustapha.

It is indeed ironic that Hon. Almustapha a lawmaker, who was elected under the platform of DPP, is being used to create confusion in the party, to the extent that he is presently the chairman of Continuity Mandate Group (CMG), a group working to ensure Wamakko’s second term in office.

It was stated categorically by the party leaders in the country that DPP does not have any faction in the first place to have warranted a parallel leadership and as such Hon. Almustapha, the paid mascot should channel his energy to other ventures that dissipating his energy on an unprofitable expedition. He should channel his energy towards good legislation that will bring success to his Rabah Constituency rather than this wasteful misadventure.

Hon. Almustapha should have heed the advised of his party as to buried his head in the sand and atone for his many sins and seek for forgiveness from of the party leadership for all pains he had cause them through his destabilization plots.

We are indeed aware that these hungry politicians looking for what to eat had become willing tools in the hands of Gov. Wamakko in his in ordinate ambition to destroy Bafarawa. Even the National Headquarters of the purported faction at No. 33 Ukukinam Street , Utako actually belonged to a media outfit and was borrowed for a period of time within which the stage managed faction would have actualized its self objective of providing Hon. Ibrahim Almustapha and his Co-travelers with the cross over platform into PDP.

The group openly accosted the state government that they are indeed aware of the alleged millions severance packages being proposed by Wamakko, as a result of which Chief Biodun Ogunbiyi the purported factional chairman is expected to lead a delegation to Sokoto state.

In the interest of prudence and accountability, it is an open challenge to the EFCC and other relevant organizations of fighting corrupts practice in the country to urgently wades into this issue and commence investigation, so as to bring an end of the rampant abuse of public office by those on authority.

 It is pertinent to counsel the Sokoto state government to channel that fund and all other earmarked for the destabilization and wicked agenda against DPP and perceived opponents towards the development of Sokoto state, rather than this present expedition of a wild goose chase. Our hospitals and primary health centers should be equipped with drugs and equipments.

Wamakko’s government should use the money to equip our primary health centers with drugs in order to alleviate the suffering of our people, rather than the pursuit of such wicked plot to destroy the party (DPP).

Former governor Bafarawa, already understand the kind of people who are hell bound on frustrating and humiliating him through such enmity. No wonder he once reply PDP and their sponsored agents that ‘Anything, which is not build on a solid foundation, is a bound to collapse’

Let people like Hon. Almustapha leave DPP and Bafarawa alone, if at all he want to join PDP it is an open interest, why can’t he declare for Alu, instead of creating ember of hatred by using outsiders to embarrass him.

Let him focus on his primary assignment of which he was elected to do by his Rabah Constituency. Enough is enough!

Abdullahi Abubakar writes from Sokoto State Indigenes Forum (SOSIFO) No: 64 Abdullahi Fodio, Road, Sokoto