President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with some state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governors, who met with the President after the Friday jumaat prayer, were from the north.
They included Nasarawa Governor, Tanko Almakura, Kaduna Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, Bauchi Governor, Mohammed Abubakar and Yobe Governor, Ibrahim Geidam.
The governors left the Villa from the President’s official resident.
The National Committee on Export Promotion ( NCEP ) says it is targeting 150 billion dollars revenue through Zero Oil Plan (ZOP) initiative.
Mr Olusegun Awolowo, Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council ( NEPC ) and member of the committee disclosed this to newsmen at the end of the committee’s meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Awolowo said that the revenue would be earned in a period of 10 years and would be used to strengthen the country’s foreign reserve.
He said that the committee had the task to aggregate all issues affecting export in the country and make recommendation to the Federal Government.
“The constitution of the committee seeks to replace oil as the source of foreign exchange earner by growing non-oil exports from present five billion dollars to 30 billion dollars by year 2020.
“The objective of the plan is to further add extra 150 billion dollars (minimum) to Nigeria’s foreign reserves cumulatively from no-oil exports over the next 10 years.
“We will create at least 500, 000 additional jobs annually due to increase in productive and export activities as well as lift at least 10 million Nigerians out of poverty,’’ he said.
According to Awolowo, the committee is expected to submit an initial report on Nov.16, 2017.
He said that the committee’s terms of reference were to aggregate all the issues and recommendations as highlighted in the various initiatives on diversification of Nigeria’s economy.
Others are to consult with the states for their input on the subject and draw up a workable plan to enhance export promotion.
On his part, Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa, who is the Chairman of the committee, said that the committee would work with state governments to actualize it objectives.
According to him, all issues currently facing the country’s export will be adequately addressed.
“Non-oil export growth is the only way forward for a sustainable development,’’ he said.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President and Chairman, National Economic Council ( NEC ), inaugurated the committee a few days ago at the 80th meeting of NEC in Abuja.
NAN
The National President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Aminu Goronyo, on Wednesday, disclosed that in the next few months, a 50kg bag of rice would be sold at the rate of N6000.
Goronyo made this known during a meeting between rice farmers, processors and the minister of agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to the Farmers’ boss, the anticipated crash in prices is due to wet season bumper harvest by farmers, adding that operators have resolved to reduce the price of a 50kg bag of rice, which is currently priced within the range of N15,000 to N17,000, to N13,000.
“This is just the beginning. The actual price will still come down because we are expecting a bumper harvest this year; we have sat down with the millers and agreed that we will work together for the interest of Nigerians,” he said.
“At one time, people were buying a bag of rice at the cost of N18,000 but they are now buying it at between N13,000 and N15,000. The price is coming down.
“In the next few months, God willing, the price of a 50kg bag will come down to N6,000. It is achievable, it will be a reality,’’ he said.
Mohammed Abubakar, chairman, Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), said the associations had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to slash the prices of both paddy and processed rice.
“We have agreed at N110,000 per tonne of paddy. In the market, rice will come around N13,000 to N13,500 per 50kg bag,” he said.
“Before now, we were buying paddy at N140,000 and N150,000 per tonne and we are selling our products at N16,000 per 50kg bag.
“If this MoU works, we hope to sell a bag of rice at N13, 000 to N13, 500, depending on where you are in the country.”
Ogbeh commended the associations for their decision to slash the price of locally produced rice.
The minister, who noted that the biggest challenge facing rice farmers in the country was smuggling, said the move would aid efforts to stamp out rice smuggling into the country.
“Let me express the appreciation of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to both farmers and millers because nobody can calculate what you have done to rescue our country that was very close to disaster,” he said.
“What you have done is going to save us from a lot of difficulties. What we want to promise you is that we will help you ease the burden of rice farming.
“Last year, we procured 80,000 threshers; this year, we will procure another 2,500 threshers and we are bringing in small reapers for distribution to rice farmers.
“The equipment will enable them to cut the rice, thresh it, winnow it and put it in sacks; It will take away all the stress which makes rice farming very difficult so that you can keep to the price of N110, 000 per tonne of paddy that we agreed.
“If we are able to keep these prices stable and we are able to contain smuggling, I hope you will keep us informed when there are any challenges confronting you because no country can claim to be strong if its citizens are hungry.
“Let everybody know that the price of rice for this Christmas will be good enough for us to eat rice, chicken and fish.”
The federal government had banned the importation to improve local production and some states like Lagos and Kebbi have jointly produced rice for commercial activities in their states.
Data made available by the National Bureau of Statistics show that export activities in the agricultural sector has been on the rise in 2017.
The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Anambra on Sunday named Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Productivity as the state chairman of Dr Tony Nwoye 2017 Governorship Campaign Organisation.
The minister of Labour and Productivity is to be assisted by Chief George Muoghalu as vice chairman.
More than 50 other persons were named as chairmen and vice chairmen of various directorates of the campaign organisation by the party.
Mr Emeka Ibe, the Anambra State Chairman of APC, who announced the membership before inaugurating the committee, charged them to commit their time and resources to the success of Nwoye governorship project.
Ibe said that the party has a capable candidate that would make history in the Nov.18 governorship election in the state.
NAN reports that all the aspirant of the Anambra governorship race except Sen. Andy Uba were named as members of the campaign organisation.
Mr Osita Ezenwa, the Director-General of the Nwoye Campaign Organisation commended the composition of the various sub-committees.
He said that there was a lot of work to be done and added that the party would make the desired change in the governance of Anambra.
“We must all work hard and together in the task of seeing to the success of our candidate, Dr Tony Nwoye, in the Nov.18 election so that on Nov.19 we all will rejoice that we have finally won’’, he said.
The National Secretariat of APC had earlier named Gov Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State as the national chairman of Nwoye Campaign Organisation.
NAN
At a press brief on Wednesday, the President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management ( NIM ), Emeritus Prof. Munzali Jibril, FNIM, OFR, announced the institution’s 2017 annual national management conference with theme “Corporate Governance and Institutional Performance”. Also present at the press briefing were – Mr. Festus Olujimi Ogunmokun, MNIM (Director Finance, Accounts, and Investments) and Mr. Anthony Fadaka, FNIM, FCIA (Registrar) of the Institute. The conference is scheduled to hold between the 17th and 19th September, 2017 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Addressing the press, Munzali stressed that the annual conference is one of the institution’s numerous contributions to nation building by providing a platform to brainstorm extensively on a burning governance and leadership issue of national important and to make sound and informed recommendations to the government and key decision makers.
According to him, “the choice of the theme of the conference was arrived at when the institute came to the sad realization that most of the sleazy and unethical practices being witnessed in the country in recent times were due to scant regard for corporate governance.
“In addition, some poorly performing and failed businesses both in the public and private sectors of the economy are caused by non-compliance with the tenets and ideals of corporate governance. Since it is a truism that there is a direct correlation between adherence to corporate governance and institutional performance, there is a new compelling need to draw the attention of the nation, businesses and those who manage man and materials at different levels to the issue of corporate governance.”
The conference which is expected to be declared open by the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, would be a gathering of the highest number of professional managers, government functionaries, decision-makers, opinion leaders, policy formulators and top management executives in both the private and public sector; a total of 3,000 participants are expected for the conference.
He also emphasized the sundry roles that corporate governance play in issues bordering on accountability and transparency within the polity. According to him, “corporate governance, when executed effectively, can prevent corporate scandals, fraud and civil and criminal liability of organisations.
“It also enhances the company’s image in the public eye as a self-policing company that is responsible and worthy of shareholder and debtholder capital.
“The issue of corporate governance has been one of the reasons most organisations and government have continued to totter in these climes, hence the need to focus on it at this year’s conference with the hope of proffering solutions that will arrest the present slide.”
Among the corporate governance experts expected to present papers at the conference is Dr. Christopher Kolade (FNIM, CNIM, CON), who will be presenting on the main theme of the conference. Also, presenting at the conference would be Prof. Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah (Former Minister of Agriculture), Dr. Nat Ofo, FCIS (Sub-Dean, Department of Business Law, College of Law, Igbinedion University), Mr. Akinbayo Adenubi and Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar (Past Presidents of the Institute), Dr. Rob Newsome, Dr. Nkechi Ezeako, and Prof. Sulaiman Salihu Aruwa.
Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar spoke with reporters in Lagos on his achievements, his anti-ghost workers policy, relationship with House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, strategies for boosting Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and restructuring. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU was there.
What motivated you to become the governor?
My state was two years old when I started working for it. I have been an active participant in the development of my state. At a point, my state was a pacesetter. It was young, but a pacesetter in the Northern part of Nigeria. People came and copied things from us. The agric development project supported by the World Bank in Bauchi State and Nasarawa State was successful. Up to now, Bauchi Agricultural Development is the best. The Cooperative Federation in my state at a time was the best and a pacesetter. When Bababgida decided to set up community banks, it met with success in my state. So many good things were happening in the state. However, there has been a retardation of progress. In fact, at a point, there was a stagnation. The state witnessed a setback in its development strides. The roads became poor. They were full of potholes. That was retrogression as far as I am concerned. I was concerned. Why should Bauchi suffer a set back? This was my motivating factor. I was not a rich man before I contested for governor. But, I was very comfortable. My practice and my abode in Abuja was a comfort zone. I was living comfortably, taking care of my family and even my community. Even, before I became a politician, when I went home for Sallah and other ceremonies, my house used to attract more crowds than serving senators. It was a fact. I was in my comfort zone. I had to leave my comfort zone because of my concern for the development of the state. I thought I should be able to make a difference.
Why is your government courting controversies?
As governor, I decided to do things differently. I have decided that at my age I do not allow myself to be dictated to by people, most especially those who did not support my bid for governor. I have resolved to work for the people of Bauchi. It is very important that people should understand the scenario when I took over. I took over when labour was on strike because they had not been paid for four months. We negotiated with labour before my swearing in. I pleaded with them to call off the strike to enable us take over government properly. I promised to address their problems after the swearing in. perly. Without the civil service, we couldn’t take over properly. They conceded and called off the strike. When I took over, I inherited an empty treasury. I inherited N120 billion debt, including N15 billion gratuities. We hae reported this matter to the Federal Government. We went to the National Economic Council to assist us to deal with that, particularly in this period of recession. Ramadan was around the corner. Bauchi is predominantly Muslim. It relies heavily on government for salaries. I was sitting on a keg of gunpowder. I took a N4billion loan. I contacted the former Speaker, a PDP member, and members of the House of Assembly. Some assert that I took a loan without the approval of the House of Assembly. That was because of ignorance. I inherited a House of Assembly that was inaugurated on the 15th of June, 2011. It had a four-year tenure. So, it would stay at least, up to 14th of June, 2015. I took over on May 29. At a time, I was operating with that House of Assembly. I called the Speaker. At that time, there was only one appointee in my government, the Head of Civil Service that I inherited. His position was not political. Three of us sat in my office. I told the man, you are from this state. You know the realities of the state. Your government failed to pay civil servants for four months. The state was on a keg of gunpowder. Raining season had commenced. The raining season will not wait for anybody. Government has not make any arrangement for one bag of fertilizer. Ultimately, people will go to Saudi Arabia. Government has to facilitate the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board for going to Saudi Arabia, not even sponsoring it. I asked an approval from the House to take care of these three major items and get a little to continue running the government until the next FAAC meeting. He told me he would table the matter before other members of the House at a dinner in the night. I directed the Head of Service to write formally to the House of Assembly. A week after, I received a communication from the Clerk of the House conveying the resolution of the House to me. This is what a lot of people do not know. I am a lawyer of 38 years. There is no way I will violate the constitution.
What next after taking the loan?
I took that loan and I was able to douse the tension. After paying one month salary, I procured metric tons of fertilizers and facilitated the hajji and it was the most successful. We continued paying salaries as at when due. In December 2015, when local governments could not pay salaries, I had to come to their rescue. I lent them to pay salaries. That was when I decided I must conduct staff verification. Why verification? Bauchi State, if you compare to Kano; Kano State is the most populous in Nigeria. Kano has 44 local governments. Yet, Kano has 92,000 staff, both state and local government. Bauchi State is said to have 105 staff. So, any right thinking person must look into that. I started the verification with the hope of getting to the bottom of the problem. Unknown to me, the cabal perpetrating the phenomenon of ghost workers in my state are very strong and very rich and they started fighting back. At that time, there was a disagreement with the members of the National Assembly. They were supporting them. They said I was doing staff verification. Today, my wage bill is 5.1 billion, for the state and local government. There was never a time I went to Abuja and got more than N5.1 billion. Yet, I am proud to say today that I am not owing salaries in Bauchi State. It has been attested to by labour. Like I said earlier on, my state relies on salaries. Even, in markets, buoyancy will not be there if salaries are not paid. That is why deliberately, I have been using all the intervention funds for salaries. The bailout is a loan we took. The only difference is that the terms are soft. The Central Bank of Nigeria intervened to get banks to give us the loan on soft terms; repayment over 20 year-period and nine percent interest. I utilized N8.6 billion, less N88 million. A group of NGOs organised a conference in Abuja and asked governors to come and give accounts. I opened my books because I have nothing to hide. I was in a bus in Port-Harcourt going for the campaign for elections in Rivers State when my Accountant-General called to inform me that we had got the Paris Club money. I asked him to use it to pay salaries. Local governments were owing two months. The state government was owing one month. Bauchi State never owed more than one month salaries from the time I took over till date. I had an occasion to visit the President privately. I told him jokingly that I had him advising to use between 5o and 80 percent to pay salaries. I told him that in my state I used more than 80 percent to pay salaries. He said oh, thank you very much, well done.
What about capital projects?
In spite of this, we commenced major projects; Urban Renewal projects. We were not happy with potholes on the roads in the state capital. We have embarked on the rehabilitation of roads leading to Bauchi. Works are going on, but for the raining season. I am spreading these projects across the three urban areas of Bauchi State. In Azaria, I am doing four focal roads; two in Missau in the North and two in Bauchi in the South and one in the Central. I am trying to establish one health care centre in each ward as enjoined by the Federal Ministry of Health. I have 322 wards in Bauchi State. I have built an additional 19 primary health cares; equipped with staff quarters, VIP lavatories. I have sunk 34 solar powered-boreholes, rehabilitated 1,700 boreholes and built 600 hand-operated boreholes. If you travel within Bauchi State today, you see blue roof primary schools. That is my project. You see the renovation of existing classroom blocks and building of band new classroom blocks. Some of these are completed. They are not abandoned projects. My policy is that there will not be an abandoned project in Bauchi State. The abandoned project phenomenon has retarded the progress of Nigeria. My policy is, even if I am not the person who started the project, I will complete it because the resources of our state should not be a waste. There is a project of the Government House that has been on since I was the Attorney-General of the State. I intend to complete it ultimately.
What’s the outcome of the staff verification?
Verification is on-going. After the first phase of the verification, people tried to frustrate it. I addressed the state on steps taken to frustrate the exercise. I told them the verification will go on, but I will not suspend the payment of salaries. Right now, biometrics are being captured. After the biometrics, we will know the outcome of the exercise. There are many ways of verification. They frustrated those ones. But, after the biometrics, we will know the outcome.
What is your relationship with the members of the National Assembly from Bauchi State?
I am a politician managing everybody. In recent times, at every occasion, I have been telling people that I don’t have enemies. I have been calling on my supporters to desist from responding to anyone who says any wrong thing against us. I have appealed to anybody who feels aggrieved to come over. The true story will be told. I have sent several committees to go and meet them in Abuja. I even asked our Executive Committee to meet with them in Abuja. Only five of them attended the meeting. Even, the first class emirs from Bauchi went to Abuja to see them. The late Maitama Sule spoke to them. The bottom line is that the most beautiful system of government is a constitutional democracy; the one that has a written constitution. The parameters are determined. Everybody knows his role. The National Assembly does not have any oversight function over me. The relationship is that we come from the same state; we are from the same party. But, they are my brothers. We started this journey together. There is no member of the National Assembly whose constituency I did not visit during the electioneering. I intervened in the primaries in support of some of them when they were having problems about nominations.
What is your relationship with House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara?
If you recall vividly, during the election of principal officers of the National Assembly, the APC took a decision I am an APC member. I toe the line of my party. We used the party to become who we are. The party requested us to do something for it and we can’t turn against the party. God in his infinite mercies chose the Speaker. After that, I told him that’s the end of the matter. God has chosen you. We will respect that. We will respect you. And I put it into practice. When he came home, I received him in my office. I accompanied him to the palace of the Emir of Bauchi. I didn’t need to do that. Somebody should have accompanied him. But, I accompanied him because, at that time, he had become the number four citizen of Nigeria. The issues are actually over-flogged. Right now, a rapprochement is going on. It started before the APC Reconciliation Committee was set up. The committee has just submitted its report. Nothing has been said about the report last week.
How are you improving the Internally generated Revenue (IGR) of the state?
It is easier said than done. The improvement of the IGR will not happen overnight. When you are talking about IGR, you are talking about taxation. I don’t want how it is possible to squeeze water out of stone. The people of my state that I met, I met them laying prostrate. My government was elected by the people. Card readers were used. There is no way I can impose hardship on my people. I can’t impose consumption tax. How many standard restaurant do we even have that I will be collecting tax and issuing receipts for them? But, we can increase IGR in three areas; agriculture, solid minerals and tourism.
What is your view on restructuring?
Restructuring means different people to different people. I support an adjustment to the present arrangement. For example, power should be devolved to the states in some areas, including agriculture and education. On agriculture. The land does not belong to the federal government. It belongs to states and local governments.
An armed robbery suspect who doubled as a gun merchant has been arrested by police in Lagos.
21-year-old Sadiq Yakubu alias Yankees, who was paraded on Monday by state Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, said he usually bought guns from Cotonou in Benin Republic and sold to armed robbers in Lagos.
According to him, he made as much as N50,000 from the trade.
Yakubu, who had earlier been arrested for robbery, told journalists that his gang operated between Okokomaiko and Ishashi.
He said they would stand at the bus stops pretending to be waiting for a bus, adding that once a commercial vehicle stopped, they would rob the passengers of their belongings.
He said: “I bought the guns for myself, other members of my gang and members of other gangs who know what I do. I started the business last year when I discovered it was more expensive to rent a gun than to have a personal one.
“We operate at Iyana-Isashi, Igboelerin and Okokomaiko areas of Lagos. At nights we attack vehicles at Iyana- Isashi during traffic, dispossessed passengers of cash and telephones. We operated with okada. Mohammed introduced me to robbery. My operational name is Yankees. Sometimes I make up to N50,000 from selling of guns.
“I was arrested at Ajagbandi after an operation at a Lotto house. One of my friends invited me to join him for the operation because I had arms. Unfortunately after the operation, he fled with the loot while I was arrested because I didn’t know the terrain.”
His alleged accomplice, Mohammed Abubakar, 22, who said he was recently released from prison, said he took to armed robbery when his parents died.
He said: “I joined robbery after I lost my parents in a mysterious circumstance. I was arrested in Ajegunle, where I fled to after one of our members, Seye, was killed.”
Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi on Thursday dissolved his cabinet , sacked the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Bello Ilelah and disengaged his Special Assistants.
A statement to that effect, signed by Permanent Secretary, Special Duties and Political Affairs, Malam Saidu Maikobi, directed the affected appointees to handover the affairs of their ministries to their Permanent Secretaries, latest July 21.
Maikobi also announced the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Nadada as the new SSG, while Brig-Gen Ladan Yusuf (Rtd) had been retained as Special Adviser on Security.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new SSG, Nadada, a 1978 graduate of Law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, had worked with the State Ministry of Justice, Bauchi State Investment and Property Development Company Ltd and New Africa Merchant Bank Ltd, among others.
He was also the SSG from 1999 to 2006 under the administration of Alhaji Ahmed Muazu.
He had also contested as the PDP Gubernatorial candidate in 2007, but was defeated by the then ANPP candidate, Malam Isa Yuguda.
Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi on Thursday dissolved his cabinet , sacked the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Bello Ilelah and disengaged his Special Assistants.
A statement by Permanent Secretary, Special Duties and Political Affairs, Malam Saidu Maikobi, directed the affected appointees to handover the affairs of their ministries to their Permanent Secretaries, latest July 21.
Maikobi also announced the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Nadada as the new SSG, while Brig-Gen Ladan Yusuf (Rtd) had been retained as Special Adviser on Security.
Nadada, worked with the State Ministry of Justice, Bauchi State Investment and Property Development Company Ltd and New Africa Merchant Bank Ltd, among others.
He was also the SSG from 1999 to 2006 under the administration of Alhaji Ahmed Muazu.
He had also contested as the PDP Gubernatorial candidate in 2007, but was defeated by the then ANPP candidate, Malam Isa Yuguda.
Mohammed Abubakar is the Governor of Bauchi State. He was Chairman of Arewa Lawyers Forum and a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) before his election. In this interview with Legal Editor John Austin Unachukwu, he speaks on constitution amendment, administration of criminal justice, democracy and sundry issues.
Some states have adopted the Administration of Criminal Justice Law. What is the position of Bauchi State?
We have done a lot of work in that respect at the level of the Northern Governors Forum. At inception, we set up a committee of Attorneys- General headed by the Attorney-General of Kaduna State, to look into the domestication of that act and then amend the Penal Code and bring it in line with the realities of modern times. They are doing a great work in that respect now.
How has your experience as a lawyer affected your performance as a governor?
Of course it has helped me a lot. I was a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC) before I was elected governor. So, I attended my last meeting of the NJC on May 22, 2015. It was a valedictory session for me. Speeches were made by revered jurists who were in the NJC with the then Chief Justice of the Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed in attendance. In his speech, he made a very particular point that made an impression on me.
What did he say?
He said: ‘Look, don’t forget the fact that even if people in your state do not hold you accountable, we in the legal profession are looking out and will hold you accountable.’ For that reason, there is no way I will let my profession down. I love my profession so much that I look forward to the timeline by which I will finish my tenure as governor and come back to my practice.
Which areas of our laws do you think need tinkering?
First and foremost, we need to tinker with our constitution to make the federal level less attractive. The states are the centre of population in the country. That is where all the actions should take place. Federal Government should be a policy making authority to regulate vital aspects of our national life like defence, foreign affairs and security at national level. Federal Government has no business in some sectors like agriculture; the Federal Government has no land, all the lands are in the states. So, it should restrict itself to policies and relationship with all the international agricultural organisations. But the bulk of the work should be centred in the states.
Also in education, the Federal Government should restrict itself to policies and allow the states and the private sector to drive education. We need to tinker with the Constitution with a view to reducing the rancour that surrounds our elections, particularly elections into the office of the President.
You have been Bauchi State governor for two years. What are the challenges?
In a very short and precise manner, let me say, being in government and in politics has afforded me the opportunity of knowing the animal called man. I have met the good, the bad and the ugly. It has made a more mature person out of me. Being at the head of government has tampered my very hot temper. I have this very hot temper that I am not proud of, but the way I operate is that when I see something that is wrong, I am hardly able to control myself and I will say it in a vey hot manner. And that is the end of the matter. If we meet tomorrow, I might not even remember that something has happened. But I thank God for being in politics and among all sorts of people, that has sincerely reduced this very hot temper
How true are claims that you have not delivered on your electoral promises?
Let me say that anybody who tells you that, is either as a result of ignorance or that person has lost touch with the grassroots. Because, it is a fact that I inherited whooping four months unpaid salaries. I paid the four months. For that reason, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) sent me a letter of commendation, I have a copy of that letter. My own Bauchi State chapter of NLC sent me another letter of commendation. Today, as I am talking to you, Bauchi State does not owe a single month salary either at the state or local government level despite the fact that we have an unusually very large civil service workforce.
What do you mean by this?
This is so because if you do your comparisms, for example with Kano State, which is the most populous state in Nigeria, it has 44 local government areas but small Bauchi has 20 local government areas. But Kano has only 92,000 civil service staff, as against Bauchi’s 105,000. So, my salary bill today is N5.1bn despite all these, we have been able to pay salaries as and when due. In addition to this, we have been able to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
What successes have you recorded?
The first major job I awarded was a 117-kilometer road started from Misau to a place called Udubu. I later increased it to Gamawa because I noticed that even though Udubu-Gamawa is a federal road, it starts from Udubu and goes into Jigawa State. But the portion between Udubu and Gamawa is in Bauchi State and it will be foolhardy to build a 100 kilometer road, rehabilitate it and then leave 17 kilometers in bad shape. So, I asked the contractors to include Gamawa. Today that road is progressing. Since they started work, they have not stopped and I have given a reputable international company called SGC, a Chinese company that is doing work here in Abuja. They have built two standard bridges on that road and the asphalt is two-third completed.
In Bauchi, I started a road that has been bedeviling road users in that place starting from the state secretariat to Federal Low Cost Housing Estate, and from Federal Low Cost to Railway Road. From state Secretariat roundabout to Federal Low Cost is a dualised portion, it is a small portion of about a kilometer or kilometer and half at most. That is a very troublesome area, I have rehabilitated it and I am dualising from the Federal low cost to Railway Road. I have paid compensation to every person whose property was demolished on that road. I have completed three roads in a place called Fadaman Mada in Bauchi. Mr. President would have commissioned those roads. You know he planned to come to Bauchi that time and then because of the weather at that time, he was not able to make it. I am dualising every entrance into Bauchi right now-five kilometer to town is dualised with street lights. I am not only doing that for Bauchi, I am doing them in Azare, the second town. I am dualising the Kano road and I am putting street light. I am rehabilitating Sule Katagum Road. I am rehabilitating nine roads inside Misau. Because they are short roads, so I have picked nine of them. Right now as we are talking, work is going on, rehabilitating those roads.
Are the rural areas part of these achievements?
I have not left the rural areas. I am building a road from a place called Itas to Atafowa and Magariya. This is a road that was first commissioned in the Second Republic and abandoned. From that time till now, nobody touched it until the advent of our government. In AJamaari Local Government Area, another road that was begun in the Second Republic Hanafari-Garin Babani-Dogon Jeji, I am building it now. In Toro Local Government Area, I am building a road from a place called Mararaba Ganye to Gulfa and other places. In Darazo Local Government, I am building a road from Darazo to Gapchari.
Today, I have built 19 brand new primary health centres along with their staff quarters and borehole in each of the locations. I have built 34 brand new solar-powered boreholes in different locations in Bauchi State. If you travel the length and breadth of Bauchi, either sides of the road, if there is a village and there is a primary school, you will notice that it is either we are repairing and rehabilitating the existing classroom blocks, or we are building additional classroom blocks. These contracts are 1700 different contracts for primary schools and junior secondary schools.
What of the area of water resources?
We have rehabilitated many boreholes some were built as far back as Second Republic and have not been working, 1740 of them in every nook and cranny of the state. Despite the crunching financial difficulties, we have remained true to all projects that are supported by donor agencies. For example, the Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation and Dangote Foundation are in league with Bauchi in order to support routine immunisation against polio.
When I took over, Dangote had stopped funding because, he said that Bauchi State was not doing her own funding. From the time I took over till date, we have been contributing our funding as and when due. As I am talking to you now, I have already paid into that basket a 100 million Naira for the 2017 version of this project. The remaining is about 60 million Naira. I have received two commendations from Bill Gates over this issue. The same for all other projects that are supported by international donor agencies and development partners, all these, despite the crunching financial challenges in the state. Those are a few of the things that we are doing.
There seems to be a face-off between you and some legislators in the National Assembly from Bauchi State?
The cause of the problem, to my mind, is ambition, ambition on the part of some of the legislators. Ambition in itself, is not a crime. But you see, there is a time for everything. We contested election in 2015, and we have a four-year tenure. Commonsense demands that the period of three years at least, should be devoted to delivering the promises we made to the people. Thereafter, you can do all the politicking you want to do. So, everybody has a right under the constitution to contest for any office that he feels fit to aspire to, they should wait for the time
How would you assess your achievements so far?
I will say I give thanks to the Almighty Allah for what he has enabled me to do. But it is important to understand how, when and where I started. I took over a government in which there was no single kobo in the treasury, and inherited a total of N125billion debts, including four months outstanding salaries, including N14.5billion workers’ gratuity unpaid. This was what I took over. And I took over at a time when things were very difficult in the country. Bauchi State is a predominantly Moslem state and when I took over in May. We were expecting the Ramadan to start in June. Four months salaries have not been paid. The state was sitting on a keg of gunpowder, ready to explode at anytime. Secondly, everybody knows that by June in Nigeria, we should be expecting rains. No single bag of fertiliser was bought by the last government, knowing full well that the rainy season will not wait for anybody. I took over at a time when preparations for pilgrimage had commenced and time is always of essence in the preparation for the pilgrimage. So, at a given time you are expected to pay a certain amount to people and if you don’t do that, they will lose out. So, these three major things were staring me in the face.
How did you manage that?
I managed that by obtaining a N4b loan and this loan later became a matter of controversy because of the lack of education and understanding of some people. I was accused of taking that loan without obtaining a resolution of the House of Assembly.
Why did you not obtain the resolution of the House of Assembly before taking the loan?
The reason for that is that people thought because we had been elected along with members of the House of Assembly, that after my inauguration on May 29, it was automatic for the whole House of Assembly to come on board, but the constitution says that the House of Assembly has a four-year tenure. The last House of Assembly of Bauchi State was inaugurated on June 15, 2011. Therefore, they needed to spend their four years and their four years was to end on June 14. For that reason, I had to function for one month with that House of Assembly in place. So, when the need arose for me to obtain a loan, I invited the speaker to my office, I told him as the son of this state, these issues were very germane, those issues I had mentioned. We needed to intervene and the only thing I could do because there was no kobo in the treasury, was to obtain a loan from the bank, so I need a resolution from you. He said okay, that we were lucky that he had invited his colleagues to his house that evening, so he was going to throw the question to them, and then he would tell me their reaction. I now instructed the only high ranking official of government at that time, the Head of Service, Mr Abdungin whom I inherited, because I had not appointed anybody by that time. He is alive, but has retired. I instructed him to write formerly to the House of Assembly requesting for that resolution. Less than a week after, the Clerk of the house wrote to us conveying a resolution by the House. So, this what people did not know and they kept on ranting about it.
The second thing that they said was that I had taken a loan without a resolution of the exco. I tell people that the Constitution confers execute power on me, the governor. The constitution said I should appoint commissioners, but my duty after appointing them is to confer with them from time to time to determine the policies and programmes of government. There is nowhere in the constitution that says I should mortgage my powers to the commissioners after appointing them. In addition, we have domesticated the physical responsibility Law in Bauchi State. I read through the physical responsibilities law, there is no where it stated that governor has no power to approve. The only thing is that for transparency, if a contract is for a certain amount, it has to go through the executive council, after going through due process.
So, as a lawyer and somebody who rose through the ranks, when I was approving those things, I was saying that anticipatory approval is hereby given that note, please initiate a memo the moment the exco is constituted for the ratification of this approval. Today, all those actions have been ratified by the executive council of Bauchi State.
It was also alleged that you truncated President Buhari’s efforts to reconcile you and some National Assembly members from Bauchi. Is that true?
Anybody who tells you that is being economical with truth. I have the greatest respect for The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I have a very warm and cordial relationship with him. There is no way I can snub the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and at no time did any person and myself go to meet the President and the President instructed that peace must reign and I snubbed Mr. President . Those people who are alleging this are not sincere. It was a matter of common knowledge, it was also in the news everywhere when they were led to go and see Mr. President with series of allegations against me. At that time, I was not even in this country. I had travelled to Hong Kong and China along with my colleagues of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. I was on my way back in Dubai when I learnt that they have gone to visit Mr. President. What Mr. President did was to tell them to take their matter to the headquarters of the party. They did that openly and it was reported, their pictures were shown in the media and everything .
What did you do on your return?
On my return, I now wrote my own and I took it to Mr. President alone, and this thing was reported and taken on national televisions even when I was walking along corridor from Mr. President’s office, I was televised and I was alone. I told the world what Mr. President told me.
And what did he tell you?
He told me to close my eyes to all the noise that they were making and continue working for the good people of Bauchi State. This is the true state of affairs.