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| David Alfred-Dogwo |
By: David Alfred-Dogwo
My attention has been drawn on an online story entitled ‘Kogi-2Billion CBN Diversion by Wada" -Says Governor Yahaya Bello; and its variant in bulk-sms to all GSM users in Nigeria and to the foreign messengers, online publications and blogger streets as well as hashtaggs, entitled: "Wada Stole Our N2Billion" which are being presented as having been adapted from a statement purportedly issued by Governor Yahaya Bello on the long-simmering speech which was brought to a boil on Democracy Day May 29, 2016 in Lokoja the state capital.
I had initially doubted the information upon first alert but as his Capt. Idris Wada's Aide, I was eventually prompted to check online for confirmation, following
relentless apprehension from his friends and other well meaning Nigerians who have been calling to express their outrage. I discovered, to my chagrin, that the malicious publications were actually posted on the internet by a couple of shadowy online news sites.
Clearly, they had done this out of mischief as was evident in the shameless confession of one of the sources that goes by the name The Eagle Monitor which still went ahead to publish the information, even after admitting to me languidly, that “The Eagle Monitor is yet to confirm the veracity of the claim though.”
It is quite telling that both the VIPs, the print and electronic media as well as
the mainstream online news sources which are very conversant with my principal's personality had deliberately ignored the information (this attests to the several calls from members of the News Agency of Nigeria NAN, members of the National Assembly, some present and past governors), knowing that it couldn’t be anything else other than a contrivance of the wicked.
The Bello Speech flagged accusations that Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada's administration systematically distorted the N2Billion's objectives which in no doubt, an information that conflicts with its policy preferences. On several issues of real import, this detailed but ultimately unpersuasive speech was little more than an attempt to put a negative spin on some flagrant examples of tailoring lies to fit the polity. It is also obvious that the blatant lies particularly on the purported diversion of the CBN grant which was canvassed for Youths Enterprise Fund (YEF) in the state, is an attempt to smear the image of the previous administration were none exist
For the records, Mr. Jacob Edi has officially bombarded the general public as follows:
"For a man who has distinguished himself in inconsistency and unaccountable policy somersaults and an epitome of illegality, this lame accusation will only have pass as one of his antics.
But for the benefit of the innocent public and the good people of Kogi state I like to state as follows:
'One: His Excellency Capt. Idris Wada did not embezzled the said money or any public fund for that matter.
'Two: that the money in question was given to all the states of the federation by the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria with clear guidelines for disbursement.
'Three: That in disbursing the money, a Special Purpose Vehicle Committee was set up as directed by the CBN.
'Four: That the State Executive Council deliberated on the guidelines before even approving the disbursement of the money.
'Five: That every transaction was done in accordance with the CBN guidelines.
'Six: That the beneficiaries of the money are not like Bello's 'ghost workers'. They are alive and can be reached at any point in time.
'Seven: That perhaps Mr. Bello has still not purged himself of his 'ghost worker' syndrome and assumes, pathetically, that everything is 'ghost'".
It is laughable that an elongated-simmering postings is flying about like the Bello-Helicopter of recent times, by the union of concerned online agents of propaganda (a dubious advocacy group) issuing a highly critical reports on Capt. Wada's administration along with a passel of prominent politicians, including over 20 laureates, who endorses the speech.
It surprises me that a governor who has been a fireball of antics and drama – mostly involving money – since he got into office in five months will be throwing stone in a glass house. On his third day in office, Bello approved N15 Million as his Security Vote. On the ninth days, another N20 Million was levelled out as security vote.
Incase you didn't know. Wada came to office as governor and used his personal car for six months before he approved the purchase of his official vehicles; but here we are that the twenty-one Local government caretakers recently appointed are to driver a jeep of N75Million each (on the way). Do the math and you get about N1.5 Billion.
On another point, I am inclined to disagree with the point-by-point rebuttal some of his on-line handlers who complained that Capt. Wada appointed men of unprofessional training background. Surely, they must know that Wada has the right to appoint any one he deems well-qualified to improve coordination with the ministries and other agencies at his time. But it worries me when the current administration is already battling with image problems since its inauguration. Isn't it right to say his men/women are also without professional training background?
In my capacity, I have found some other errors and overstatements in the Bello attack to Wada. On many substantive issues, his defense sounds more like bureaucratic evasion than a candid evaluation. The governor complained, for example, that the Wada administration diluted criteria that was to be used to evaluate the performance of the funds-but was directed only to the youth programs which obscured lack of efficacy. Instead of measuring such real outcomes as the proportion of the youth who has been engaged in thuggery until the programs came handy or the dream of the youths were resuscitated, the measures were rather revised to focus on attitudes and intentions.
The Democracy Day Speech offers lame excuse that the program was never designed to produce useful grant data and that other long-range evaluation efforts are under way to assess the effectiveness of youth participation.
What did Bello mean by "effective measures"? How "effective" is he, when in February 3rd, another memo of N5 Million was approved for more security. Which security are we talking about when the entire indegenes of the state are in the hands of kidnappers without state government's attention? The permanent secretary under duress was made to raised yet another memo on the same day asking for N20 million because the governor’s “security fund has just been exhausted.”
Exhausted on what? Haba Bello!
Five days later, on February 8th, more security vote of N100 million was whisked away.
I challenged the governor to look into the state records were the previous administration created a robust platform to engage the youths and explore their entrepreneurial zeal through the establishment of Yad4Kogi along with placing them on N15,000.00 allowance monthly for four years aside the grant from CBN and other social network like KOGYESSO and stop drawing the last administration of Capt Idris wada to the mud.
He should channel his grievances and facts to relevant authorities and I begin to wonder why the governor is doing anti graft agencies job having failed to establish any fact against the already built image of Capt wada built over the years both in the public and private sector
By the records, I wonder how he will managed himself before the same anti-graft tzars with the over-subscribed expenditure he is undergoing when he leaves office soon. It is on record that all Kogites regardless of faith, creed or origin united under one umbrella in the PDP. Those good days have to return next week or in four months time.
N148 million has so far been spent on furnishing and renovating the governor’s office at the Government House.
What happened with the memo of February 1st, 2016 of the tune of N99, 983, 994.00 for the refurnishing of the office by a company known as MajGlobal Construction Company Ltd? What about the March 4th memo asking for the release of N48, 593, 250.00 “for additional works on the renovation/furnishing and maintenance of the governor’s office?.
Instead of demeaning my principal Capt. Idris Wada, I advised the governor to concentrate on the already battered image and financial recklessness on his five months old administration without consideration to the welfare of the state and local government workforce.
That same ploy - taking refuge in the need for further research - was trotted out on the important issue of infrastructure. Bello should stop duplicating the already executed programs of the previous government particularly on agriculture and infra structural development.
It is laughable for this present government to say Capt. Wada made over payment and under utilisation of funds for contracts in the state without opening the state records to the public for scrutiny. It is high time Bello stops playing face saving and sympathy politics envisaging his continuity or sustenance in Lord Lugard House.
His handlers have been justifying elimination of waste products in the state that linked change to human activities under the Environmental Protection Agency reports by asserting that Capt. Wada's administration did not adequately addressed such complexities, and that a far more expansive exposition of Bello's administration was soon to be published as part of the present administration's change plan.
Who cares! That pat explanation to me, glided past the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency document was apt to attract mere attention whereas any viable administration's plan should call for a lot more research in lieu of prompt action.
The Governor claimed that Lokoja the state capital was dirty during Wada's administration and that the Environmental Protection Agency of his time has given a "highly favorable review" of the administration's research plan, but he failed to mention that the same Environmental Protection Agency has expressed doubt that it would be adequately financed and worried about "a real or perceived political influence that could discredit the program."
Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada is a respected lover of mankind and lifelong Democrat but will not seem an automatic apologist to this administration. The question yet to be answered by my readers and followers is whether Bello is speaking from conviction when he claims that the N2Billion funds was off-based by Wada's administration or is he serving as a frontman for an administration whose activities in this era is sometimes hard to defend.
Anybody who has followed the exemplary career and accomplishments of this
cognate technocrat Capt. Idris Wada, especially his unblemished record in public service, will attest to the fact that he (Wada) neither speaks the language of abuse nor engages in trite talks.
I wish therefore to categorically state that the administration of Capt. Idris Wada knows nothing about this invidious and treacherous statement that has been attributed to him
through fake social media accounts.
While I urge the general public to disregard such irrational claims, I am
also inclined to warn the originators of the fake report to desist from such actions. This is because it is pure evil, criminal, cowardly and designed to ultimately consume the perpetrators.
It is a natural justice that no crime will go unpunished, and it is only a matter of time before the perpetrators of this heinous fabrication will be
exposed. To ensure that this is done, our principal has put the security
agencies and his lawyers on notice, and we have no doubt that they will
diligently do their job.
The EFCC is so afflicted with degenerated myopia that it only sees perceived threats to APC as being culpable for crimes it is unable to establish and for which Wada's former appointees are victimised with their rights infringed and without apologies.
To make matters worse, the APC chooses what court orders to obey and which to frustrate or disregard; a major deviation from the gains of the PDP that had established the rule of law as an intrinsic part of governance. But for the existence of the Supreme Court, we are hopeful.
Thank you all.
DAVID ALFRED-DOGWO
(Senior Special Assistant on Communications Strategy to Capt. Idris Ichalla Wada former Executive Governor of Kogi state)
<davidalfreddogwo@rocketmail.
08034768404
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