Date Published: 02/14/10

RE: SOKOTO CRY FOR JUSTICE By SAHABI GARBA

          Our attention has been drawn to an advertisement by one Oludare Ogunlana who lives in Baltimore, MD, USA on Sokoto political equation, especially on the court case before the Appeal Court.  The emotional outburst of the writer betrays a man least informed about the true picture of Sokoto political culture, transpiring and sociological factors that must not be ignored in the process of adjudication.  If democracy is majority rule it is clearly absurd to proselytize hoist of a man with minority votes over the will of the people on assumed technicalities that would only ignite chaos. How long shall Sokoto totter in political limbo as a result of court disturbances by those intent on destroying the cherished peace and dignity of the Caliphate?  Frequently, and in every available platform, the Nigerian judiciary is being arm-twisted   to  do the bidding of opposition.  Modesty is no weakness, and we urge restraint on the overzealous to allow smooth evolution of our democratic process.   

          If Oludare Ogunlana lives in Nigeria he should have been well grounded on facts that His Excellency, Alhaji (Dr) Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, the Executive Governor of Sokoto State was not disgraced out of office as deputy governor.  He actually resigned from an administration that enthroned dictatorship as virtue.  It was an administration of a cabal that resorted to plundering of Sokoto resources as buttressed by the recent Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecution of key members of that administration on embezzlement of N15 billion public funds.  Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko holds a certificate in Fraud Detection from a US institution, and his presence was not comfortable with those looters of public treasury whom Ogunlana advocates their return to power.  It is baffling to allege corrupt tendencies against anybody without substantiation.  The onus of prove is on Ogunlana as sweeping statement is literary laziness. 

          The landmark case Ogunlana referred to (Court of Appeal Ruling of April 11 th, 2008) ordered a rerun of the governorship election in Sokoto State which original contestants were eligible, including Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.  DPP candidate abandoned pursuit of any court case to participate in the rerun.  He indeed campaigned vigorously and took active part in the rerun election conducted by INEC, the body charged to conduct elections in Nigeria.  From that legitimate exercise DPP lost woefully to the winning ambience of Governor Wamakko of PDP.  Irrespective of the notion held by Ogunlana, Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko remains a popular candidate that can win any election in Sokoto State under any platform.  He is a candidate that transcends class ascription in tandem with African culture.  Joseph Ki-Zerbo once said “this problem of the existence of classes in the traditional African society has long been debated, and I believe it is a basic problem for on its solution depends to some extent the ideological choice that must be made.  Is there segregation of classes in traditional African society?  I personally believe not”.

          The cabal Ogunlana craves for their usurpation of the peoples’ mandate to Governor Wamakko systematically drifted towards class distinction in building personal empires with sordid affirmation that Sokoto people can be likened to chickens and grains.  We wonder a culture that can absorb such insult in the quest to perpetuate dictatorship where voice of dissent only landed in jail or brutalized, even discretion of holy places in vendetta.  It was an administration that harassed organized labour, torn their Holy Quran to shreds and cut civil servants’ salaries.  These are conditions Governor Wamakko has reversed.  So, there is no basis to insinuate that PDP and INEC instigated violence, terror and indiscriminate arrests of opposition members.  Indeed, it is the opposition members that continuously fan ember of violence and insecurity in Sokoto to scuttle the people-oriented administration of Governor Wamakko.  

          Ogunlana advocates return of haters of education in all ramifications.  They neglected Sokoto State educational development in pursuit of lucre to bolster personal empires; then Ogunlana and his ilk would relish continuous education backwardness of the area. It was the administration that launched appeal funds to resuscitate primary education in Sokoto State, but turned round to share the proceeds of the exercise as discovered by EFCC.  But Governor Wamakko has come to the rescue through massive renovation of classrooms, building of new ones, provision of teaching and learning materials, recruitment of qualified teachers that now stimulate tremendous increase in overall school enrollments.  Governor Wamakko’s administration has also engaged in massive development of enabling infrastructure that would facilitate overall growth of the economy.  He has constructed 600 roads within the short span of the administration.  The health care sector has been improved greatly with the mobile clinics that penetrate every nook and cranny of the State. They help in disease surveillance and provision of on-the-spot treatment of patients.  Sokoto State now has achieved complete eradication of polio cases with involvement of traditional rulers in general immunization of children.  There is increased awareness through orchestrated campaigns against killer diseases such as HIV/AIDS etc.  Pregnant women and children 1-5 years enjoy free medical care in the State. Hospitals are fully equipped and adequate drugs supplied. Medical personnel in all State hospitals are being motivated with improved conditions of service.

 Water scarcity has become history in Sokoto as Governor Wamakko’s administration has provided potable water to the people.  Over 150 villages have been connected to the National Grid in provision of rural electricity.  Soon the 30 megawatts independent power project embarked upon by the State Government shall be commissioned.  Almost 2000 housing units have been constructed for civil servants on owner/occupier basis.  The fly over bridge being constructed at the most chaotic traffic junction in the State capital at the cost of N1.6 billion shall soon be commissioned.

          Governor Wamakko’s administration has spent over N2 billion in agricultural inputs to boost food production and also committed nearly N1 billion in rural water supplies.  The State Government has pumped in close to N1 billion in higher education and soon the State University shall take off, a project which N23 billion has been set aside for.  This is in addition to a College of Agriculture allocated N1 billion all in an effort to turn out high level manpower needed by the State to accelerate overall development. Greater attention is now given to environmental management to check desert encroachment that eats up large chunk of the peoples’ farmlands.  There is massive planting of flora and fauna to protect the entire ecology which will as well provide fodder for the animals. Concerted efforts are being intensified to educate the populace on the dangers of felling trees for firewood.  Households are now introduced to solar cooking utensils. In consonance with the poverty reduction programme of the administration different schemes are being implemented to empower the youth to be self-reliant. It is a way of diverting their attention from drugs and evil pastimes.  They now not only sustain themselves but contribute to the growth of the economy.  Perhaps, these development strides cause some consternation to opposition that would wish continuous stagnation of Sokoto State in economic and social developments. 

          The administration of Governor Wamakko is focused to fulfill its electoral promises of general poverty reduction to the people.  The incongruent call by Ogunlana to CD, CLO, NANS, CDHR, AREWA, OPC, MASSOB and Femi Falana, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Chief Olisa Agbakoba to meddle in Sokoto political terrain shows the desperation of those that hired him to engage in paid advertisement to misinform the unsuspecting public.  The central issue heavily revolves on the determined and sustained verve of Governor Wamakko to judiciously use the resources available to Sokoto State to increase the tempo of development of the economic and social lives of the people.  Governor Wamakko is committed to serve the people to uplift their overall living standard.     

Sahabi Garba

Sokoto Democratic Initiatives