A journalist and legal practitioner, Mr Osa Director has urged the Nigerian Senate not to confirm the duo of Bello Matawalle and Atiku Bagudu, immediate past Governors of Zamfara and Kebbi States respectively as ministerial nominees owing to what he called the corruption allegation against them and poor performance while in office.
Director, who heads Osa Director and Co, Legal Practitioners and Arbitrators, in a letter addressed to the Senate President titled, “Petition Against ex-Governors Bello Matawalle and Atiku Bagudu as Ministerial Nominees,” said he’s encouraged by Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to “Uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”
The petition reads in part, “I hereby write to you a petition against the nomination and possible appointment of ex-Governors Bello Matawalle and Atiku Bagudu of Zamfara and Kebbi states respectively. By virtue of Section 147 (2) of the Constitution, it is the prerogative of the Nigerian Senate to confirm the nominations of Ministers.
“Former Governors Matawalle and Bagudu are not fit and proper persons to be so appointed because of serious allegations of corruption against them and their lack-lustre performance in office as Chief Executives of their respective States of Zamfara and Kebbi.
“Matawalle was Governor of Zamfara State between 2019 and May 2023. He lost his re-election bid due to his colourless and uninspiring performance. The former governor was accused of looting the state treasury by his successor in office.
“In short, he was said to have descended to the level of stealing all the official vehicles of Zamfara State Government besides looting personal items at the Government House in Gusau, the state capital.
“Some of the phoney contracts he awarded to allegedly loot the state blind include but not limited to a contract worth N700,000,000 to an engineering company, C.G.G.C
Engineering Company Limited to clear and pay Customs Duty on 200 units of Hilux (Ford 2019 vehicles).
“He also comically awarded the supply of another set of vehicles to the tune of One Billion Naira to a pharmaceutical company, Danguruf Pharmaceuticals Limited.
“The same pharmaceutical company was awarded a contract to the tune of over N59,000,000 for the construction of one Governor’s Lodge. Most of the contracts awarded to cronies and fronts were paid up front.”
The legal practitioner further recalled how the anti-graft agency accused Matawalle of stealing N70 billion belonging to Zamfara State. “He was set to face trial. It is pertinent to note that in response to the allegations by the EFCC, Matawalle never denied not looting Zamfara State resources. Rather, he averred that he was being disrobed publicly because he refused to offer a N2 billion bribe demanded by the suspended Chairman of EFCC as his cut from the heist,” he added.
Continuing, the petitioner noted that “Bagudu is notoriously known as front man for the late dictator, General Sani Abacha. He was one of those who helped laundered Nigeria’s hard-earned revenue in foreign vaults during the reign of General Abacha. This prompted one of the then, leading pro-democracy newspapers, TEMPO to produce an investigative lead story on him, titled: ‘Atiku Bagudu, the man who steals for Abacha.’ After the death of Abacha, he fled into hiding overseas.
“But strangely, when the noose began to tighten around his neck due to improved international financial legal framework and best practices, Bagudu fled back home after underhand deals with some influential and corrupt political elite in Nigeria.
“In a twinkle of an eye, he found himself as an ‘elected’ member of the Senate and later as Governor of Kebbi State, where he served from 2015 to 2023. Sadly, he left traces of intense poverty, traditional errors, diseases and underdevelopment in his state.
“Today, Kebbi State is one of, if not the most underdeveloped state in Nigeria due to the very poor leadership style of Bagudu. Even as the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress’ APC Governors Forum, he was the only governor who could not invite former President Muhammadu Buhari to commission any project while in office, because he had none to showcase.
“From the records, Bagudu was one governor who never escorted President Buhari on any of his numerous foreign trips to Europe, America and Asia, not even in some prominent African nations. Why? It is no secret that Bagudu is prominent on the wanted list of International Anti-Fraud Unit for various infractions. Hence, he cannot and does not travel outside Nigeria,” the petitioner further noted.
He called for the duo to be arraigned for their alleged crimes even as he promised to substantiate his allegations with documentary evidence.
“We strongly recommend that the distinguished Senate should not confirm the nomination of Matawalle and Bagudu. The two of them should be arraigned and given fair-hearing to account for their stewardship. It would do the image of Nigeria no good to appoint people of questionable character and pedigree as Ministers, until they are cleared of alleged misdoings while in office as governors. We are ready to defend our allegations with documentary and oral evidence, if summoned by the distinguished Senate to so do,” the petition further read.