Leadership (Abuja)
Ibrahim Modibbo
21 September 2008
column
Ordinarilly, I get constrained joining issues with rejoinders to my column, but knowing fully well the dangers associated with keeping silent on some fundamental issues raised against my person, I find it expedient to set the records straight for the benefit of posterity.
It was expected that Mallam Isa Yuguda's attack dogs would rabidly unleash their venom on me since I have apparently stepped on their sorely tails following my very patriotic and nationalistic intervention in the process of governance in Bauchi State. I have read a few rejoinders from Yuguda's wild cats who felt I was unkind to their pay master in the way and manner I rendered my thoughts. Among the list are Garba Iliyasu Bauchi, Baba Musa Bauchi and Mohammed Aminu. Their thoughts and responses were as abscure as their names either in socio-political discourse, pedestrian talkshop or even beer parlour gossips that are peculiar with lower minds. From all the inflamed passions which these professional coupon clippers and renters exhibited, it was a pity that none of them was able to diagnose the teasers which my piece generously elicited. They were not only economical with the truth, but simply could not contradict my submissions on the Bauchi sad story of a lost glory. I was waiting to be confronted with cold, bare-faced and damning facts about the performance profile of Mallam Yuguda from members of his cabinet who possess "better" intellect than these mediocre brains could convey to the unsuspecting members of the public. Alas, none of such, except for them to resort to raw abuse, use of uncouth language and deliberate insult on my personality and hard earned integrity, to cover up their lapses in a state that is presently under seige by a governor who hardly stays home to face the stark realities of Bauchi people and the challenges of governance in that once glorious state.
In their attempt to embark on dramatic struggle for social and economic recognition, the trioka critics just like fighter bulls, let loose in a China shop have unfortunately entered the lion's den.
The ideas canvassed in the advertorial of one hungry and intellectually deficient Baba Musa Bauchi were not only churlist but utter denigration of a man who claimed to be a "product of knowledge and intellectualism." From my investigations, I found out that Baba Musa is a failure in life. He was said to have gone to Europe under the manpower programme to study electricals with a view to becoming a welder, but was deported back to Nigeria due to poor academic records and drinking to stupor. He now finds solace in locally brewed beer and drugs to sustain his hungry appetite.
Baba Musa is a product of the Isa Yuguda administration and his low level of education sums up the face and character of the government. In an advert written and signed by him, I found more than one hundred and fifty grammatical errors, poor sentence structures, wrong spellings, uncoordinated level of thinking and above all primitive and stone-age use of language, which I consider as gutter-personified. I know Mohammed Aminu. As a college dropout that is still fed by his father, Aminu lacks the temparament, gusto, creative imagination and professional intellect to engage me in a debate of this magnitude. All attempt to defend the indefensible did hit the brickwall. His write up is full of gaps, intellectual emptiness and logical puerility to stand the test of the current journalistic fanfare.
For records and the avoidance of doubt, I want Aminu and his colony of beggarly colleagues in this game of infamy, to note that I, Ibrahim Modibbo, was never dismissed by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), as insinuated by Aminu in his Satanic verses. On principles, I challenged traitors, food is ready politicians and Ghana-must-go democrats on their decision to embark on suicide mission of abandoning their presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. This singular declaration pitched me against forces of evil who decided to terminate my appointment as the National Director of Publicity. As I write, all my terminal benefits were duly paid and I have since parted ways with active politics and have gone back to my profession.
I was never a contract defaulter, as I never, ever in my life got any contract from the Bauchi State government at large and Colonel Theophilus Gbamigboye administration in particular.
For the records, I am never a lunatic, arrogant, indisciplined nor am I a pathological liar as claimed by Yuguda's hooligans in those ill-fated write-ups.
Only in the figment of imagination of lesser minds like Baba Musa Bauchi will any one input that a journalist is an intruder. Just like Doctors and Lawyers, journalists are professionals without borders, but in a self-serving and myopic world view of Yuguda's hirelings, such realisation is utopian. Just read an infantile mind, "since the writer condemned Gov Boni Haruna for his failure to do something in Adamawa, I would rather appreciate if he may solely placed (sic) emphasis to (sic) his own state affairs because as the wise says (sic) charity begins at home." What a product of "knowledge and intellectualism" indeed. Those who accuse me of not providing sufficient information on the achievements of former Governor Adamu Muazu are also as guilty as charged. They failed to provide scintilla of Yuguda's achievements in the last sixteen months. How can I bow to inferior argument of these commercial writers and mercantile red-herrings who will not feed except a few crumbs fall from Yuguda's table? It is this same opinion that is driving people crazy in Bauchi to the extent that after sixteen months on the rostrum of power, Yuguda and his co-travellers cannot pinpoint to any tangible achievement in the face of so much funds accruing to the state from the federation accounts. It is already becoming apparent that, people of Bauchi can no longer be cajoled and deceived by the beauty of Yuguda. Governance goes beyond using creams to beautify one's face or using cassava starch to fine tune one's Babanriga. it is all about brains and not browns.
Never in the history of modern democracy have we seen such a brazen and highly reckless administration as that of Yuguda. Drifting into the bottomless pit of infamy, the Yuguda administration lack rhyme or rhythm to move the state forward due to poverty of leadership and good governance. Bauchi people are getting more attuned to the attractions of good governance hence they ask questions where a governor is seen to be a traveller like Yuguda, instead of a performer. Let Yuguda's achievements speak for him, the same way that Muazu's speak in quantum. Let us see a documentary or pictoral advertisement on the pages of the papers to show what Yuguda did in Bauchi. Any one who claims Muazu did not perform in Bauchi is either wicked or a bootlicker. Bauchi never remained the same when Muazu bowed out of power, but it is easy for fair weather friends such as these army of ego-defenders to quickly abandon a man who they once celebrated, simply because they want to be on the side of Mallam. Such naivety carries its own burden, because history is not a product of one man but a collective enterprise.
Assemble the best reporters journalism could offer, it will be a wishful thinking for any one to erase the legacies of Muazu in Bauchi. It is just like writing on water for any democrat to dismiss Muazu as a collosal failure.
It is important to note that Yuguda had never been that popular, as exerggerated by these court jesters in Bauchi. He won the last elections courtesy of the contagious syndrome with Buhari. Buhari's trumphant entry into Bauchi in the run the elections changed the political landscape of the state and Yuguda capilised on this virtue to come on to the corridors of power. Now he is in the league of those treacherous governors who betray Buhari. I challenge Yuguda to come out on the streets of Bauchi without any security cover along with the former Governor Muazu for a popularity contest and see who will be hailed and who will be stoned like satan.
As minister of Aviation, Yuguda did not do well. Segun Adeniyi, the spokesman of the president had course to describe the signing of a letter purportedly written by Mr. Anderson of Virgin Nigeria as unpatriotic and a disservice to Nigeria. While the federal government insisted on relocating Virgin Nigeria to domestic terminal, Yuguda was vehemently against it. Nigerians should also remember that during the Obasanjo era, and under Yuguda as minister that Nigeria airways was liquidated, with all aircrafts sold. EFCC should find out the proceeds of the sales of this national monument.
As minister of Transport, so much money was released as testified by the sub-committee of the National Assembly on Transport and Aviation, but yet nothing tangible came out of the funds. The Senate committee invited Yuguda to testify but he declined on the grounds that his wife was sick in a German hospital, and directed his SSG to write an apology.
As a governor, though Yuguda gave out contract on the rehabilitation of Bauchi hospitals at the start of his administration, none has yet been completed. Contracts for drugs were signed but not a sachet of panadol arrived the shores of Nigeria, while the generating sets that were bought to be supplied in the hospitals were later discovered to be fake and sub-standard. Since assumption of office, morale of civil servants in the state has been very low due to favouritism and alleged nepotism. The current Head of Service who was not equivalent to the rank of an Assistant Director in the federal civil service was brought in and first appointed as S.A-Servicom, later Perm Sec SERVICOM and within few months elevated to head of service where as many old perm secs that served the state meritoriously were left in the cold. It could be recalled that out of vengeance, Yuguda sacked over 20 perm secs and directors on mere assumption that they were loyal to Muazu. This led to the collapse of the civil service.
With over 1000 aides in service, Yuguda's main achievement is buying of flashy cars to court political friendship. Now referred to as "Governor of Cars," the governor has distributed many to political associates, including thugs.
When he came in as governor, he employed a good number of his former staff in First Inland Bank as special aides. The SSG, Ibrahim Dandija was his staff while he was MD of the bank, and his present commissioner of Finance, Alhaji Garba Dahiru was his accountant at the bank. It is pay back time as some of these staff in Inland Bank facilitated some loans for Yuguda during the campaigns. As a reward, most of the vehicles bought by the government were believed to have been secured through the Bank. There is the need for the EFCC to investigate the accounts of the governor and some of his aides shortly before assumption of office and compare it to what is obtained now. EFCC should also investigate what happened to late Gen Sani Abacha's shares in Inland Bank. There are allegations that the SSG is busy capitalising on the absence of the governor to build multi-million naira ultra modern hotel in Bauchi, in the same breath moving into his new palatial home worth millions of naira in Wuse II Abuja. There are criticism of the government for awarding a multi-billion naira road contract to a Chinese firm whose specialisation is drilling boreholes and the state House of Assembly recently raised alarm on this matter. The firm collected a 60% down payment on the project when it no construction design.
Having come through a transparent democratic culture, Yuguda refused to allow democracy to strive in Bauchi. The last local government election was an apology as the governor disqualified almost all political apponents barely 24 hours to elections, only to go ahead and handpick candidates of his choice as against that of the public.
In his desire to remain relevant as a dictator, the governor fought almost everybody that helped him or contributed to his success into office. He was combative in all fronts. He is no longer in good terms with politicians like Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, the current Secretary to the Government of Federation, Senator Nazif Gamawa, Abubakar Kari, Senator Maikafi, Shehu Musa Gabam and the former ANPP secretary, Shehu Barau Ningi, whom he recently sacked as a commissioner. He also dealt with Uban doman Jama'are also a former commissioner and of course, Alhaji Abdulmalik Mahmood, the former Deputy-Governor to Muazu who became a rallying point and pillar of support for his success at the 2007 elections.
To the hungry serial attackers of my column, be rest assured that INSHA ALLAH, I will come your way again in my patriotic effort at keeping Yuguda at home and save tax payers the orgy of careless spending on merry-go-round trips that are as unproductive as the government itself. No threats, no insults, no wild allegations or primitive invectives against my person shall deter me in my resolve to bring sanity to a neighbouring state.
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