Date Published: 09/17/09

Why Nyako's Government's contribution to the Abti-American University of Yola must be investigated

We live in the information age and whatever happens in the political circle is made available to others all over the world within minutes. This spread of information about happenings in one place or the other is what shapes peoples’ minds and influence the society whether positively or negatively. It is unfortunate if people spread deliberate falsehood to deceive the public or to gain one advantage over something. In the follow-up to the 2007 elections, it was everywhere in the papers in this country that the then Governor Boni Haruna did not do anything in Adamawa State because as Atiku’s protégé, he used all the state allocations to fund the building of ABTI Academy and the present American University of Nigeria, Yola. This like a red mud stuck out on the white linen. Even if you were from Mars, you would believe without asking questions for the following reasons:

•       There was no evidence of infrastructural development in Adamawa State
•       The kind of architectural aesthetics associated with the ABTI Academy and the present American University of Nigeria, Yola showed money-real money was invested in it
•       The Turakin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was incapable of doing anything with his personal resources which many believed he was over-valued but depended only on coercing Boni Haruna whom he installed as governor to bring money from the government to open these schools.
•       If person from these institutions ever did or say anything otherwise, s/he would be seen as supporting the looting of Adamawa State resources to fund a private business investment.

If the people in Yola had their way, Atiku and Boni Haruna would have been tied to the stakes and shot. Some of us congratulated the Adamawa State Government then because we believed that if truly, the two schools and other Atiku’s investments were built and funded by Adamawa State resources, in a very short time Boni Haruna would be arrested by the EFCC and made to pay back all that he diverted to ABTI Academy and the present American University of Nigeria, Yola. And that definitely the long arm of the law would catch up with the Turaki with forfeiture of his investments. If my brain works well which I think it does, it is on record that Boni Haruni was charge by EFCC for not accounting for N93 million naira campaign funds in 2003 elections. Boni Haruna the Atiku’s protégé  is not in power now. The fire spitting PDP people won the ‘elections’ beating AC, the Turaki’s party 100%. It was just a matter of time before Boni and Atiku would be in the cooler. I am still hoping the time will come and very soon. Do not allow these to surface during electioneering campaign only, because we will use our number six since we are resolving not be deceived again by sweet talks and brainwashers.

Those who have anything against Atiku and his candidate in Adamawa State and Nigeria should start unearthing them now or forever keep quiet because we know those who have the interest of the masses at heart. Why I particularly congratulated those Adamawa people who wrote me personal mail saying the investments were built with Adamawa state stolen funds was that the investments are ALL in Yola, the Adamawa State Capital. I believed that the State would at least recover some building infrastructure and use them for some other purposes to the state’s advantage. I also compared this with my own state governor who said to have had his own investments in South Africa. I remember calling Atiku a better thief. (One can only imagine the insults and names I got from the public who said I was part of the thievery-I swallowed all).

Back to the topic of the day before my long digression, I want to join forces with the critics of Boni Haruna and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for using Adamawa State subvention to enhance construction works in his American University of Nigeria, Yola. I am particularly furious with Baba Mai-Mangoro an old Navy Officer who is facilitating the use of the State Government scarce resources to support a private business empire of Atiku abubakar. Because of this, the Nyako’s PDP led Government must be investigated by the EFCC and ICPC. It was understandable during the Boni’s regime because the nation had it so good under Obasanjo. The petrodollar went up as high as N150/barrel of oil and Boni was able to spill a lot (maybe) without notice. Since this regime came to power, there has been a worldwide economic recession which has affected almost every nation. Therefore, the Adamawa State government under the leadership of Admiral Murtala H. Nyako cannot take that state’s scarce resources and still invest them in Atiku’s university. This is unacceptable.

Evidence
The EFCC and ICPC need not look far for the evidence as everything is so glaring in Yola and everybody can testify to this. However, the following are the evidence that the Adamawa State Government is secretly funding the various construction works in the American University of Nigeria, Yola
•       When the allegations were made in 2007, the University student were using four block of dormitories. Since the Nyako’s government came to power, the American University of Nigeria, Yola has expanded more than three times its size with 8 blocks of imposing upstairs of well furnished hostel accommodation.
•       Architecturally designed 500 capacity cafetria
•       The university has added a community school and Charter schools of international standard
•       The African Centre for ICT Innovation is now a storey building instead of the bungalow it occupied
•       Within Nyako’s coming to power, Atiku has now built and commissioned a Radio Gotel (Democracy Radio) in Yola
•       His company, Faro Waters also in Yola now produce bottled Juice
•       There is now a 5-star hotel under construction in Yola.
•       It is possible that the over 30 Nigerian lecturers brought back from Europe and America are being partly funded by the Nyako’s administration.
•       The investments in the Laboratories are second to non in Nigeria and Africa and many international bodies have been trooping in to see the facilities on ground.

Let me restate for the avoidance of doubt that ALL these Atiku’s investments are in Yola and it is also possible that all the people working in these his companies are from outside Nigeria and Kojoli in Jada only-Atiku’s home village. I will also suggest that the Federal (or maybe State) Character Commission should also have mandate to enforce their principles in private investments so that Atiku’s excesses in Adamawa State should be checked. However, my issues of concern are primarily the yearly diversion of Adamawa State’s monies to fund private investments because these institutions were started with the state’s resources by Boni Haruna. Nyako must stop this henceforth or be made to face the security agencies.

Thank you
Abu Ibrahim
abufunny5@yahoo.com