On the other hand, Governor Inuwa has, in less than two years of office, requested and received OVER N30BILLION IN COMMERCIAL BANK LOANS, which he FAILED to disclose to the people of Gombe.
Despite the vast
potential of our state, Gombe is recklessly managed under Governor Mohammed
Inuwa Yahaya. Governor Inuwa has turned Gombe State Government into a platform
for his private gain.
The hopes and
aspirations of the people of Gombe State have been dashed away. Governor
Inuwa's 27 paragraph empty second-year anniversary speech speaks volume.
1. It is not True
that Governor Inuwa INHERITED:
a. N120billion in
debt.
b. Dilapidated
educational and health infrastructure.
c. Ill-motivate and
dysfunctional civil service; and
d. Neglected rural
areas & low-income neighbourhood.
N120billion in debt
- Governor Inuwa
has failed to give the breakdown of the N120billion debt his government
inherited.
The people of Gombe
demand that Governor Inuwa should publish the full details and or breakdown of
the loans he claimed to have inherited from the previous administration. If he
is honest.
- It is on record
that the APC Federal Government of Nigeria, in line with its election campaign
promises, had approved various financial support to ALL the states of the
Federation.
The loans were
packaged as budget, education and salary support when it took over Government
in 2015.
- To help implement
and deliver the promise of the APC Federal Government, Governor Dankwambo
received various sums.
- By the time he
left office, the outstanding obligations was about N70billion.
This is an APC led
Federal Government Loans granted to all state to help implement the Federal
Government social investment programs for the records.
- It may interest
ALL to know that Governor Dankwambo did not leave a single OUTSTANDING
COMMERCIAL BANK LOAN OBLIGATION.
Indeed, ALL
commercial bank loans received and utilized by Governor Dankwambo's Government
have been fully repaid before he left office.
On the other hand,
Governor Inuwa has, in less than two years of office, requested and received
OVER N30BILLION IN COMMERCIAL BANK LOANS, which he FAILED to disclose to the
people of Gombe.
Compare the
N30billion loan collected in two years with an outstanding N70billion loans
granted by the APC led Federal Government for its policies and left behind by
Governor Dankwambo.
The good people of
Gombe are the best judges as to who has mortgage the state.
2. Dilapidated
educational and health infrastructure,
Traversing Gombe
State in the last two years and visiting most of the hospitals and schools will
tell one the sorry state of education and health facilities in Gombe.
Sugar-coating hospitals and schools with needless paints at exorbitant
contractual pricing awarded to family and friends is not the best way to
address the state's dilapidated education and health infrastructure.
We note that these
education and healthcare infrastructure had deteriorated more under the watch
of Governor Inuwa's administration.
- Healthcare
The state has lost
over 63 Doctors simultaneously. The Government has embarked upon retrenchment of
other essential health workers without any meaningful plan to attend to the
overstretched hospitals. The hospitals under the administration of Governor
Inuwa are mortuaries.
The handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic and the disastrous protest at the various isolation centres
speaks to the ineptitude of Governor Inuwa's administration.
The private
sector-led Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) has sent in donations to the
state. These were rebranded and utilized as items procured by Governor Inuwa in
the sum of a N750million - A MONUMENTAL FRAUD.
The GOhealth
program is another massive fraud as 3.5% has already been deducted at source
(payroll), further reducing the wages earned by works. In contrast, no family
had been enrolled yet by any health management organization to benefit from the
program. The result is that worker's disposable income has further reduced
while they continue to fend for their healthcare.
We call on the
state government to publish the total spending on the Health sector by category
if it is truly transparent.
- Education.
Gombe's education
system is in a shamble. The Government has blatantly refused to ensure that the
State Nursing and Midwifery school in Dukku, College of Legal Studies in Nafada
and the University of Technology in Kumo have successfully taken off. ALL of
which are facilities provided by the previous administration of Governor
Dankwambo.
Education is the
foundation for the development of each society. Unless the state is genuinely
committed to and gets this right. We are doomed.
The activities of
Gombe SUBEB and the contract scams, including the established and
pre-determined kickback of 15% on contract sums, speaks to heaven on how high
the Governor Inuwa government stinks and swims in corruption.
Federal Government
Universal Basic Education Commission funded the contract awarded by the Gombe
SUBEB for furniture supplied and RENOVATIONS and NOT the construction of the
classrooms, as claimed by Governor Inuwa.
The contracts were
awarded to and executed by the state CHIEF CONTRACTOR and his cronies with
kickbacks of 15% paid.
We call on the
state government to publish the total spending on the education sector by
category, including the state's actual funds spent if it is transparent.
What has become
glaring is that the state does not have a comprehensive strategy to address our
education system. The isolated and ad-hoc approach cannot solve the educational
challenges of our dear state.
3. Administrative
Recklessness and financial mismanagement:
- Since coming to
power, the civil service, the backbone of Government under Governor Inuwa, has
been disenfranchised. Ministries and departments are led by overseers
(virtually cronies).
- Retired Permanent
secretaries are yet to be replaced by those who duly deserved to replace them.
- the Government
does not follow due process in administering the state.
- The result is a
chaotic government that runs at the wimps of one individual who sees everyone
else as a thief except himself.
- There is no iota
of fiscal responsibility on the part of this Government as it flaunted its
procurement act.
- We challenge the
Government of Governor Inuwa to:
o Make public the
procurement process (from initiating to completion of contracts awards etc.)
o List of ALL the
contractors who are awarded contracts by Governor Inuwa.
o The actual
breakdown of the contract sums for each contract.
o How the State
Civil Service Commission manages civil servant's careers.
We make bold to say
that Governor Inuwa himself is the CHIEF CONTRACTOR OF THE STATE.
The world bank
funded fully the gully erosion control project in Gombe. To his credit,
Governor Dankwambo initiated and sourced for the World Bank Support. As
governance is continuous, the World Bank has disbursed the funds now. We hope
that Governor Inuwa will implement the project thoroughly and make public the
terms of the contract award.
4. What gains are
recorded by Governor Inuwa on IGR.
The Gombe Revenue
Optimization Company Ltd initiated by Governor Dankwambo administration. A good
initiative to manage our state Inland Revenue Service. However, Governor Inuwa
is attempting to use the structure to raise additional borrowing rather than use
it for what it was initially meant for. Optimizing our IGR.
Recently, the
Government awarded contracts for installing each pole of solar streetlight for
N1.5million per pole against the going rate of N220thousand.
Some commentators
tried to defend the Government by stating that the contracts were awarded
inclusive of taxes. We note that these are beer parlour comments. Undoubtedly,
however, such commentaries expose and establishes the source of the increase
recorded in IGR collections. Put - the 25% and 62% increase in IGR recorded in
years 2019 and 2020, respectively, reflects the over-invoicing and over-bloated
contracts awarded.
- You do the math.
Taxes charged on a realistic contract of N220,000 against those charged on an
over-bloated figure of N1.5m per Pole of Solar streetlight tells you your
source of increase in IGR. And by the way, this is what goes on in all the
procurement conducted by the Government.
- No significant
increase in Pay as You Earn (PAYE) taxes collected from workers because
Governor Inuwa has reneged his promise to implement the N30,000 minimum wage.
Worst still, the Government embarked on massive retrenchment of workers.
- Without any
meaningful value (infrastructure, water, light, education and healthcare) to
the populace, people are harassed and overburdened with taxes.
We challenge the
Governor Mohammed Inuwa to publish the breakdown of its IGR by source
(sectorial publication does not tell you the exact figure).
5. Network 11-100
initiative was one of the early programs announced by the governor. Although
the entire state still needs Road infrastructure, we have not seen any
meaningful effort by Governor Inuwa's administration.
It is common
knowledge that Governor Dankwambo paid for the roads under construction. The
claim by this Government is another monumental fraud in the form of variation
of contract sums and inflation.
At the inception of
his administration, Governor Inuwa surreptitiously varied Alhaji Yahaya Umaru
construction company's contract and an additional N1billion or more paid to
them for jobs already executed.
Less we forget,
Governor Inuwa is credited with stating that "any government that focuses
on awarding road contracts is a government of Armed Robbers."
Not minding this,
if Governor Inuwa is genuinely transparent, we asked the Government to publish
the following:
a. location and
list of the Road contracts awarded.
b. list of the
contractors
c. The amount at
which Government grants the construction of each 1 km of road.
6. Water
We do not wish to
speak about the state of the water supply in Gombe. All of us in the state can
make our value judgment. We can only say that the current state is a betrayal
of our collective hope, aspiration, commitment, and integrity as a people. It is
an affront to our collective psychic and disregard to the promise of our
state's founding fathers. It is a betrayal of the "Gombe State
Movement" to ensure that every family has access to potable drinking
water.
- Drilling
Boreholes cannot solve our water problems. They are glorified wells and are
just another avenue of siphoning money through bogus contracts.
7. Agriculture:
One of the most
unfortunate and missed opportunity is how neglected our agricultural sector is.
Agriculture is at
the centre of the APC led Federal Government's policy for self-sufficiency in
food production. The Federal Government also hope to achieve the subsequent
diversification of the economy by developing the agricultural sector as a
source of revenue. Governor Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya Government has refused to
take advantage of and key into the various initiatives of the Federal
Government.
The mainstay of
Gombe people is Agriculture. Indeed, we can grow our economy and ensure the
development of our state if and only if we can focus on this.
Gombe farmers
produce not only food Crops but other cash crops such as cotton. Unfortunately,
such farmers are the worst hit in terms of lack of support.
The cotton
producers are left to transport their cotton to ginneries in Funtua and other
far locations. The only two ginneries that are functional belongs to CHIEF
BUSINESSMAN OF THE STATE. These ginneries became operational by the WAY after
becoming Governor, and No one dares go near them.
- The state has the
potential to generate 500MW of power from the proposed Wajari Coal Power Plant.
And now, Gas has been discovered. This will help in powering agro-allied
industries that can be established to follow the Agricultural value chain.
What is missing is
Purposeful and selfless leadership.
8. DEVAGOM
The state
development plan is narrow. Developing a strategy around only the 17
sustainable development goals of the United Nations is not sustainable.
- The widespread
recognition of the actual and potentially adverse effect of environmental
degradation on socioeconomic development led to the introduction of sustainable
development as an alternative international development model.
- The goals ignore
underlying inequalities in the international system: Our current world order
favours a rich minority.
- The goals are
top-down and bureaucratic, ignoring local context: One size does not fit all in
achieving sustainable development.
- The SDGs are
wishes, not goals: We cannot build our economy on mere wishes.
We need to
industrialize our state, develop our agriculture, build infrastructure, and
provide free education and healthcare.
The administration
of Governor Inuwa Yahaya has so far received over N90billion in Federal
allocation. Excluding its own IGR, Federal government ecological and
educational counterpart funding, Federal government, and Development partners
(such as the world bank) support.
Unfortunately,
Gombe State remains the fourth poorest in the Federation regarding GDP and per
capita income.
Getting Gombe State
out of the quagmire of poverty and drudgery is simple. It needs visionary,
selfless, and purposeful leadership. As stated by the late Sardauna of Sokoto,
we need a leader who has the qualities of "… hard work, credible
integrity, selflessness, accessibility & fear of God…."
The mid-term report
presented by Governor Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya is all you need to know that a
dangerous and desperate Governor is leading Gombe state. We cannot afford
another two years of his government.
Governor Mohammed
Inuwa Yahaya is an unimaginable tragedy in our state.
Unfortunately, our
democracy does not allow us to decide the fate of our leaders after two years
or anytime during the life of their 4years fixed term in office.
However, although
painfully so, we must wait for and take the opportunity of 2023.
Let us remember,
Governor Mohammed Inuwa has indicated that he will resort to intimidation and
harassment of the opposition. We will NOT be deterred and will remain focus on
the goal.
We are resolute in
our commitment to ensure that good governance is enshrined in our state.
Usman Garbati
Writes from Gombe
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