LETTER TO UMARU TANKO AL-MAKURA BY BALA DAN-ALKALI Your Excellency Sir, let me start by congratulating you on Nigerias achievements at 54 and Nasarawa at 18. No doubt in Nasarawa state, we have every reason to celebrate and to shower praises to Almighty Allah for giving us a state of our own, even though since its creation in 1996 by Late General Sani Abacha, we have never had it so good than now. Of course, your coming on board has changed so many things positively in the life of ordinary citizens of the state which before your coming, existence became so hellish to the people of the state due to total decay in infrastructures and wanton collapse in basic ingredients of democratic governance occasioned by inept and corrupt leadership of the past. For good 12 years, life in Nasarawa state has to say the least, become so short and brutish. In the last 12 years when PDP was in power in the state, corruption was elevated to unprecedented level to the detriment of progress and development of the state. When you assumed office in 2011, it was the sum total of this corruption that made you to inherit the sum of over N40 billion as debt; in a state that has only 14 years of existence at then. And of must disturbing was, apart from the fact that, such debts were incurred within the 12 years of our democratic experience, virtually all of the debts were incurred dubiously through, either outright stealing or contract inflations. We’ll however not get tired of citing as example, how our collective wealth was siphoned and diverted for private use such as in case of our refund of Paris Club as well as the Irrevocable Standing Payment Order {ISPO) signed by the previous PDP administrations in the state. Sir, you will recall that upon your assumption of office, the first major challenges you encountered was, apart from breakdown of peace and security as a result of Tiv, Fulani feud especially in the Nasarawa South, there was also total absence of funds to oil the wheels of governance of the state such as payment of salaries of workers and other overheads; as at that time for the PDP government to meet such obligations, it has to go borrowing through Over- drafts from Banks. There was virtually nothing left in the government treasury to make matters worst for your administration to take –off. Equally Sir, soon after you took over the reign of affairs of the state, you also faced other challenges in areas of low- morals in the state civil service arising from inadequate working incentives as well as total disenchantments with the whole system by the citizenry as almost everybody has lost faith in democratic governance in the state. Your coming, as you have noticed Sir, has brings so many succors in the psyche of the people of the state as confidence have been built into not only the psyche of our people but also in their thinking and behaviours as well. Sir I stand to be corrected if all these things that I have said were not true. Sir you will also re-call that in your inaugural address delivered on 29th May 2011, which you titled: ‘A fresh start and a new deal’ you exactly captured the scenery of the state when you said ‘The oath I have just taken marks a fresh start in the life of our state, which in the 14 years since its creation has been held hostage to the folly and excesses of its rulers. That we are in stagnation, even decline and decay, is self-evident’ Sir you went further to add in that inaugural address that ‘The time has come to reaffirm our faith in the democratic process; to strengthen our bond with ordinary people; to insist on old decencies; and give free reign to that noble idea that we are all equal, free and entitled to our fair share of opportunities and respect’ You also posited that ‘On this day, I say to you that we have not only a historic opportunity but also a duty to address the many pro blems that beset our people. Starting from here, we must pull ourselves together and begin a new task of remaking Nasarawa state’ Sir, even the most naïve, will admit the fact you have kept faith to what you have promised in your inaugural address as life to an ordinary Nasarawa state citizen has now become not only worthwhile but also worth celebrating through your committed and patriotic leadership; a leadership built on prudence and accountability and above all the fear of God. True to type, your leadership has banquets on the people of Nasarawa state what they have long pressing for, which is progress and development. Yes, the more than Three and half years in office has proved to, even the most undiscerning, that your covenant with the people of the state, as you spelled-out in your inaugural address, has been fulfilled. You have done it in areas of urban and rural roads, you have done it on health care delivery system, and you have achieved much on areas of education as now education in Nasarawa state is not only free but compulsory. The decaying infrastructures permeating all the sectors of the economy of the state which hitherto constituted not only a menace but provided some form of conduit for pilfering of public funds by the previous administrations have now been resuscitated under your watch, to the admirations of all; forcing many to even wondered the kind of magic you have in achieving all these in just a limited time, in spite limited resources at your disposal arising from lean revenue accruals to the state from the Federation account. Sir I know many who do not share your vision and mission for Nasarawa state would certainly viewed this letter as too sycophantic, but I don’t give a damn since all what I mentions in this letter were facts that can not be disputed. However, envied by the achievements you recorded in no record time, some disgruntle elements that have no records to show to people, sees the fragile security you inherited as Perfect Avenue to distract your attention away from providing dividends of democracy to people by promoting all forms violence, but given your commitment and with God they have failed and would continue to fail in there evil designs. Sir we are indeed, very much aware, these communal conflicts did not start in 2011. Before you come, we had several communal crises in Nasarawa state, to wit: Bassa and Ibira in Toto Local Government, Tiv and Fulani cumulated to beheading of First Class chief of Azara, Awe Local Government, Eggon and Koro in Obi following the creation of Jenkwe Development Area, and Eggon and Alago in Assakio following electioneering campaign of 2007, There are of-course, many communal conflicts too numerous to mention that occurred in Nasarawa state even before you come as Governor; therefore the people of Nasarawa state can not be blindfolded to believe that it is your administration that brought about this ugly situations. These ugly situations have been on ground ever since. It is on record sir, your administration since you came on board has not been found wanting at any point, in the discharge of its responsibilities of providing security to life and properties of the people of the state. The Community Based Conflicts Resolutions mechanism which you initiated is helping in no small measure in dousing ethnic tension in the state. Peace as often say is the responsibility of all. However Sir, sensing you remained undaunted in your resolved to move the state to the next level of development; they then moved their campaign of distraction and of calumny to the State Assembly were they initiated an impeachment move against you, but your absolute faith in God and the people of the state did not only stopped them in their wicked move but also exposed them in their naked ugliness when the Panel to investigate the allegations against you cleared you of any wrongdoing. The fresh move, like the one before it will certainly crash, since like what a Hausa man would say ‘Allah na bayan mai gaskiya’ And just like Martin Luther King (jr) once observed: ‘Faith, like light shall always remained unbending’ We know for sure that nothing will bend you to stop doing the binding agreement you entered with of the generality of the people of Nasarawa state, your abiding faith in accountability, prudence and fear of God shall surely see you through. But one thing Sir, the people of Nasarawa state are again asking you to come out and contest for same position of governor in 2015. They are with the believed that it is only you who can, giving our circumstances, salvage the state from backwardness and underdevelopment considering what you have been able to achieve between 2011 to date. Sir this clarion call for you to come out is burned not out of sycophancy or deceit, the call is a genuine one in appreciations of what you have done for the state. Sir the people of the state earnestly need you to continue and you can not afford not to listen and oblige to their request, because the demand for you to come out is too overwhelming to be ignored. Dan-Alkali wrote from Awe, Nasarawa State
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 13:13:58 +0000