Shehu Abubakar
18 July 2008
Gusau — The raging rift between former Zamfara governor, Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima and his successor, Alhaji Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi has been described as a very personal matter only known to the two politicians.
Special Adviser to governor Shinkafi on Government House matters and commissioner under the Yarima administration, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Tukur E. S. said only Yarima and Shinkafi know the cause of their misunderstanding.
He said the two political leaders were the best of friends before they later fell apart for reasons only known to them.
"I was with the governor (Shinkafi) when the Emir of Zazzau, (Alhaji Shehu Idris) phoned to ask him to see him. I followed the governor to Zaria where the governor had a private meeting with the Emir and Yarima. Only the three of them were in that meeting.
"When they came out of that meeting, we left. The Chief of Staff and I were supposed to be the closest persons to the governor around there. The governor did not tell us or anybody what they discussed in the meeting. I am not sure if the Emir or Yarima told anybody about the meeting.
"But to my surprise, Daily Trust came up with a story on that meeting. How they got to know about the meeting is still a mystery. I don't know if they are using "jazz". We are still wondering how they got to know about that meeting and what was discussed," he said.
Alhaji Tukur berated former governor of old Sokoto State, Malam Yahaya Abdulkareem for criticising some projects being executed by the present administration in the state.
Malam Abdulkareem had written a letter to Governor Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi urging the state government to stop the on going construction of an investment house and a cargo airport in Gusau.
Abdulkareem who described the two projects as white elephant projects, said they were not useful to the people of the state as they are not priorities.
But Alhaji Tukur said Malam Abdulkareem's fears may not be far from the cost of the projects, adding, "the present administration has the ability to execute and commission the projects in good time.
"This era is different from his time (Malam Abdulkareem) when governments of those days had very little to spend. We have enough to spend for our people and we are willing to judiciously spend," he said.
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