News Editor
The Nasarawa ELDERS Forum are worried by the state of affairs of our dear state, which is not unconnected to the uncertainties surrounding the reelection of Gov. Abdullahi A. Sule in Nasarawa State. We are deeply saddened that governance in the state has been abandoned and public funds wrongly chanelled into few individual pockets and more so pursuing self interest judgments for state assembly and governorship election tribunals while citizens groan and moan in hunger, starvation and, needless hardship.
We, just like every other citizen of the state, expected that after his re-election His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule should have settled down by now with almost six months into his second tenure to face governance proper since there is no visible development linked to his administration in the state aside the current depletion of the state treasury on a wild goose chase.
We wish to bring to public knowledge the munumental fraud currently ongoing in the state under the watch of Governor Sule. The brazen mismanagement of our state treasury in an attempt to secure a favorable judgment in the ongoing tribunal has kept the state on backward acceleration in terms of physical development and citizens welfare, even amidst this harsh economic situation occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy which has subjected citizens to untold hardship.
It is now glaring that Sule, even though a sitting governor, has not fully recovered from his post election trauma. Where on earth do we place the massive withdrawal from the state treasury that has been going on ever since Governor Sule’s reelection was subjected to judicial scrutiny at the tribunal.
His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu haven taken one of the most courageous steps in our nation’s history in his removal of fuel subsidy, a very tough decision at the moment but for a futuristic gain capable of unlocking the country’s economic potentials for the prosperity of our nation and thus, has provided palliatives worth 5 billion naira in cash and kind to cushion the effects of subsidy removal across the country.
Reverse is the case in Nasarawa State as these monies instead of being used to improve the welfare of our citizens, especially our civil servants with poor renumerations, no promotion, no salary arrears and our retirees who are left without pension and gratuity are being channeled into a wasteful venture.
We are not unaware that the governor in a bid to secure a favorable judgment at the recent tribunal, dolled out monies to the tone of 1 billion naira only to secure a parallel judgment that was not in his favor. Sule having lost out in the tribunal, has disclosed that he will proceed to appeal. Our concern is that they have no mercy on our state treasury, which now bleeds while our citizens are at the receiving end.
A case in point is the recent withdrawal of money to the tune of 500 million naira, from the palliative account meant to cushion the pressure on citizens and the entire workforce is now handed over to the State Commissioner of Justice, Barr. Labaran Magaji to facilitate appeal court judgment in favour of Sule. This continuous waste of public funds is generating anger and anxiety even among Governor Sule’s appointees and members of his party in the State.
Infact, the Accountant General of the State Hon Hön Ahmed Mohammed has been rumoured to be highly worried over the wasteful spree of state funds in the event Sule finally loses out he imagined the consequences more also that he was just about 6 months ago appointment as AG,
Our stand is a patriotic call with no political undertone. Nasarawa State is home to all of us and since we have no place to run to, we owe it as a civil responsibility to save it from further degeneration.
Peace is priceless, it is key for any meaningful development and we are determinedto attained it at all times. In view of this therefore, we are calling on all supporters across party divides, especially the PDP supporters to desist from comments and acts capable of breaching the relative peace and brotherhood we share and will continue to enjoy in our state. The ongoing celebration across the state is needless as it is not yet uhuru. We must keep the peace.
Alh. Zubairu Abdullahi Yahuza
NASARAWA CONCERNED ELDERS FORUM
