19 June 2008
Lagos — The Shinkafi dispensation has thrown a different kind of challenge to the people of Zamfara state. Imam Imam in this report explores the widening gap between the ideologies of former governor Ahmed Sani Yarima and that of his successor, Mahmud Aliu Shinkafi
Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, various state governments have come up with different policies to tackle the challenges facing their people. Most of these policies have however failed to address the problems. The level of poverty continues to increase despite huge resources available to the governments at all levels.
Traditionally, government is supposed to be a continuous process and based on this premise, many past state governors battled hard to have their cronies or trusted aides installed as their successors. Zamfara state was no exception as former Governor Ahmed Sani Yarima made history when he endorsed his deputy for eight years, Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi to succeed him during last year's general election. From the outset, Shinkafi was considered the right candidate to succeed Sani because as deputy, he earned the nickname of the 'Patient One' for his loyalty to his boss. At a time when deputies were busy fighting their principals across the country, Shinkafi kept a low profile and endured with whatever was thrown at him by his boss. The former governor also resisted many appeals from top party faithfuls and some business interests to dump Shinkafi for other candidates vying for the post of governor.
Whatever it was that happened, the marriage of convenience between the two gladiators resulted in Shinkafi clinching the governorship ticket to become the second elected executive governor of Zamfara state. If Yarima had expected his successor to copy all his programmes, the bearded senator may have miscalculated. It is this difference in style and substance between the two personalities that is today threatening the peace of the 'most peaceful state' in Nigeria. In trying to understand the genesis of the crisis between Shinkafi and his former boss, it would be better to understand certain backgrounds that have shaped the views of the two personalities and is today proving to be the determining factors in the affairs of Zamfara. The two politicians are miles apart in their political orientation and philosophy. While Yarima, an economist, favours what he terms 'Human Development' theory, Shinkafi, a business administrator and banker, agrees with the human development but with much emphasis on infrastructural development. It is those two ideological differences that have today torn Zamfara ANPP apart and threatening to divorce a long standing political marriage.
In Zamfara today, a political battle is being fought. The field is already laid with all manners of mines for the battle. There are intrigues; vengeance; backstabbing; and violence to either make up for losses of the recent past or the acquisition of new frontiers.
But what are those theories? For Yarima, the Human Development theory includes the direct distribution of money to the people either through award of contracts or placing the mullahs, the ward heads, district heads, emirs, imams, na'ibis (assistant Imams), mu'ezzins (the caller of prayers) and faithful party supporters on monthly salaries. Not just that. Also on government patronage are the Sarkin Makafi (king of lepers); Sarkin Guragu (king of the cripples); Sarkin Kurami (king of the deaf and dumb); Sarkin Kutare (king of lepers). This disabled heads as well as the leaders of the artisans all have exotic cars donated to them by Yarima on behalf of the state government.
Yarima in his eight years in office, was said to have bought and distributed no fewer than 1.5 million motorbikes as "loans" since the advent of democratic governance while fertilizers are given to farmers as loans to be paid back with bags of millets at the close of farming season. The cost of motorbikes is deducted from the monthly salaries of civil servants that got the bikes. However, just before the last election, as a political strategy to win votes, the loans were written off.
Giving an insight into the theory, a top aide of the former governor who was inherited by the incumbent said the concept was arrived at to alleviate poverty among the people of the state. "Zamfara was in an unfortunate situation due to historical reasons and neglect of the zone when we were part of the old Sokoto state. All the developmental efforts were concentrated in Sokoto and Gwandu (Kebbi state) to the detriment of the eastern senatorial zone which made up the bulk of present day Zamfara. In 1999, the state government made a decision to implement the Sharia legal system, and welfarism is at the heart of its human development theory. The poverty level in this state was beyond comprehension, so for the people to feel the impact of government and in return have their means of livelihood improved, government must device means of assisting them in kind or cash."
Agreed, the policy did not give room for development of other sectors like infrastructure, the aide however said"but governments work with priority and the priority of our people was to tackle poverty in its entire ramification. For instance, a community faced with too much poverty does not need hospital, neither does it need road. Give the poor folks food and you would have served the purpose of governance which is meeting the yearning and aspiration of your people."
For eight years, Zamfara benefited from the theory. While the governor devoted the resources of the state to meeting the financial needs of the aristocrats and the rich in the state, real growth and development of infrastructure however suffered.
It is a fact that Governor Shinkafi got overwhelming votes from the electorate because he promised to continue with his predecessor's policy. However on assumption of office, the quiet, loyal and sometimes dour-looking former deputy governor soon came out with his plan of action which not only differed from that of Yarima, but seeks to denigrate it. His guiding principle was "A Gani a Kasa", a Hausa word for projects of reality. According to the governor, the slogan is to execute projects that will have lasting impression on the state as well as its people. By this, the much-hailed human development theory was discarded and replaced with the provision of roads, water supply, education, health care delivery and the like.
Zamfara state Comissioner of Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Danmaliki, said the new approach to governance seeks to shoot Zamfara into the 21st century. "The present administration is determined to make Zamfara one of the best five states in the country in terms of development. We are exploring all avenues to develop our infrastructure and develop the potential of our people to make things for themselves, rather than wait for government handouts. In the immediate past, we were adjudged to be the most rural state in Nigeria and we are determined to change that. Some of the projects being executed in the state today appear to some people like a dream, some never imagine a state like Zamfara will execute those projects before they have been made to believe that we will never get to that level of development. So apart from having solid structures on ground all over the state, we are also disabusing the minds of people who think we will never develop to a level of states like Kaduna, Kano or Lagos," the commissioner said.
Among the key projects embarked upon by the present administration is the construction of an International Cargo Airport, construction of a state of the art Investment House in the state capital, establishment of an Independent Hydro Power Project and a proposal to establish a state University, among others. Similarly, the government has constructed over 200 kilometers of rural and urban roads across the state; it has so far tackled the perennial water problem bedeviling the state capital and its environs, and has constructed modern classrooms to decongest existing ones in virtually all government schools all over the state. Also, a N2 billion 500-bed Hospital is under construction in Gusau, the state capital.
All these however, are coming at a political cost to the governor and his team. Those who benefited from the old order still believe the priority of the state is poverty alleviation. Such discontent has led to open confrontation between the supporters of the governor and his predecessor, but the two leaders have, until recently, maintained a dignified silence as their supporters continue their battle of wits. However, Governor Shinkafi, for the first time penultimate week, acknowledged the existence of a rift between him and his predecessor, Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima, saying the problem arose because he (Shinkafi) refused to release state resources to political hangers-on who had benefited from the last administration. Speaking when he granted audience to some journalists in Gusau, Shinkafi said his former boss had wanted his brand of politics to continue into the new regime but his demands could not be met since "the time for that type of politics is over."
His words: "He (Yarima) basically wants us to continue with the same politics we played during the campaign right into our tenure. Personally, I feel that is not possible since we have a duty and responsibility to develop all sectors of the state, not just few political jobbers and hangers on. To me, everything has its time. The time for politics is over. What we should be concerned with now is the development of the state. We are politicians as such we won't abandon politics, but that will only happen in an election year. My definition of politics is to bring development to the people, not to develop a few people because they have invested in our campaign." However, according to him, the problem between him and his former boss is not as pronounced as people are making it. "If you ask him today he will tell you he has no problem with me, the same thing with me too. We only differ on some policy issues which I think is normal in politics." The governor said despite the differences in policies, his administration is an extension of the ANPP government which Yarima served as its head for eight years in the state. He described the last one year of his administration as fulfilling, adding that the success recorded were achieved largely due to the cooperation and understanding from all parts of the state. He said the priority for his administration for the next one year is to complete the state Cargo Airport project as well as establish a power generating plant in the state. "Those two projects have the potential to fully transform Zamfara by making us one of the most economically-viable states in the federation. God willing, both projects will come to fruition before May, next year," he said.
In a swift reaction, Yarima blamed the misunderstanding on Shinkafi's aides who he said have been feeding the governor lies about him and the governor seem to be listening. In an interview with a national daily, Yarima said "Shinkafi's aides believe he is still the governor and as such he (Shinkafi) should do everything to limit his predecessor's powers." He said since his time as governor, whenever he visits Zamfara, large group of people turn out in their thousands receive him, "but this made the governor's aides to assume that I still control political power in the state. They said there can never be two kings in one town as such, all my influences must be whittled down." The senator added that he has no regret in helping to install Shinkafi as Zamfara state governor, and will not undermine the new government "because you cannot plant a tree and later uproot it."
If for anything, the events of the last few weeks have highlighted the increasing divide between Shinkafi and Yarima on one hand, and the top hierarchy and supporters of the ruling ANPP on the other. For the past one year, Shinkafi had to endure constant criticisms from the Yarima camp who believe he owe his former boss and his allies more than he cared to give. They contended that Shinkafi rode on Yarima's huge appeal to get to the office, only for him to abandon his policies and seek to implant the former governor as the leader of the ANPP in the state.
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