This morning of April 21, 2020, I woke up to this BILLION-NAIRA EDUCATION FUND SAGA and the ongoing AD HOC PROBE PANEL FACT FINDING DELIBERATIONS and wondered; WHY THE SECRECY? Isn’t the issue of PUBLIC INTERESTS that WARRANTS the same public being regularly informed, if not outrightly involved in the PROBE to ascertain what went with the HUGE AMOUNT of MONEY meant to upgrade the deplorable state-wide educational infrastructures?
As reminder, On record, the SSG admitted to having ONE BILLION IN RAW CASH meant for RENOVATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS. He also admitted to having contracted out the RENOVATIONS of ABOUT 288 SECONDARY SCHOOLS to over 200 CONTRACTORS. And out of the MONEY, about N84 Million was left in the EDUCATION COFFERS.
So this matter should have been rounded up by now because it is a straight forward case. The PROBE PANEL should have summoned the BENEFITTING CONTRACTORS to come and give account of their PERFORMANCE. Since, the Chairman of the PANEL even mentioned that some CONTRACTORS have gone back to site. Therefore, the people need to know who the Contractors are; and names of supposedly benefitting Secondary schools which the PANEL should have already visited.
In fact, it belies logic to even think the NASARAWA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Members will even approach the issue in any other way except to uncover the whereabouts of the huge FUNDS and seek for its return. Or if embezzled, to sanction the culprits in the most appropriate manner by turning the matter to the STATE GOVERNMENT with a view to instituting further investigation or pursue prosecution at the courts or involve the EFCC.
However, credit is to be given to this 6th NASARAWA HOUSE of ASSEMBLY for uncovering what could potentially be high crime against the people and the most SHAMEFUL AND CRUEL THEFT OF OUR COMMON PATRIMONY since the advent of this 4TH REPUBLIC.
And this, to wit, not that there weren’t any possible embezzlement or graft since 1999 if the past HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY took their responsibilities seriously by being TRUE GATEKEEPERS of OUR COMMONWEALTH. As example to the possible impunity of Past Regimes, at least we are witnesses to another potential heist of public treasury that by now the STATE HOUSE of ASSEMBLY should have rounded up investigation…but neigh, they appear not to be bothered that PUBLIC TREASURY was alleged to have been inappropriately touched by those elected to serve and protect same for the good of the public.
What readily comes to mind that the STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY must visit closure to is:
I. Farin Ruwa Independent Hydro-Power Project
II. The Zimbabwean Farmers Project, and
III. Concession arrangements for some Nasarawa State properties
GOV. AL-MAKURA set up a PROBE PANEL headed by former COMMISSIONER of FINANCE, CHIEF AYUBA DOGARA AYENAJEH on 19th September, 2018, to investigate.
Then, GOV. AL-MAKURA gave the following reasons:
“You see, government is dynamic. Operation of government is also dynamic. Certain things propose certain things. Certain actions precipitate certain actions and as far as governance is concerned, the gestation period for a number of issues don’t come at the same time. Certain issues take a long time before they come up themselves that is the case with the commission of enquiry I constituted yesterday.
“Issues that were at stake, were issues that have taken many years to culminate to need and necessity for investigation.”
And among others, the PROBE COMMITTEE was Mandated to:
“…investigate the role of key players in Government who aided, colluded and/or abetted the defrauding of the State with other parties involved and recommend appropriate penalties/sanctions towards prosecution and recovery of Government funds from such actors.”
But because setting up the Panel was Political, and GOV. AL-MAKURA really never wanted to honestly investigate and recover potentially siphoned ASSETS AND COMMONWEALTH belonging to the people, they quickly reached settlement allegedly after DIST. SENATOR ABDULLAHI ADAMU yielded to the “blackmail” in quotes because the TRUTH MIGHT STILL BE A CASUALTY.
But what they forgot is that PEOPLE’S COMMONWEALTH belongs to the people. No matter how long any unjust matter against the people remains in the cooler, one day it shall be time for the people to get JUSTICE and what rightly BELONGS to them.
In this wise, and as a friend to DIST. SENATOR ABDULLAHI ADAMU, I believe by now, he has to be interested in bringing to closure, once-and-for-all, this vexatious matter to prevent further ruffling of feathers by any successive regime that might be at odds with him. Certainly it is also a matter of public concern that the STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY and the GOVERNMENT of GOV. A.A. SULE to turn THEIR searchlights ON to finally bring the lingering issue to a closure.
SUMMARY OF EXPECTATIONS
The people expect from the PANEL’S anticipated FINDINGS are the following:
I. List of benefitting CONTRACTORS, TOTAL CONTRACT SUMS
II. List of SECONDARY SCHOOLS billed for RENOVATION, CONTRACT SUMS
III. List of verifiable COMPLETED SCHOOLS, CONTRACT SUMS
IV. List of verifiable UNCOMPLETED SCHOOLS, CONTRACT SUMS
V. List of ABANDONED SCHOOLS, CONTRACT SUMS
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I wish to remind the PROBE PANEL that their ASSIGNMENT is a huge burden that is central to their ASSIGNED ROLE and RESPONSIBILITIES as LEGISLATORS IN-CHARGE OF APPROPRIATION AND TRANSPARENT ALLOCATION AND USAGE OF OUR COMMONWEALTH. And that they are RESPONSIBLE AND ANSWERABLE TO ONLY THEIR CONSTITUENTS and THE OVERALL CITIZENS OF NASARAWA STATE.
Therefore, they should fear not any person. And serve not the INTERESTS of any INDIVIDUAL in this LANDMARK CASE that has the POTENTIAL OF CREATING HEROES/PATRIOTS and saving the STATE huge resources that otherwise might have gone down the drain…because the interests of the PEOPLE/STATE is GREATER than of any INDIVIDUAL no matter how highly they might think their STATUSES IN SOCIETY are.
Mr. Ayuba Umar is a public figure, a politician and journalist. From Akwanga, Nasarawa State.
