The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State and the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led administration of Ahmed Aliyu in the state have differed on the state government’s achievements. The PDP accuses the state government of reckless spending.
In a press statement made available to newsmen in the state by its publicity secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sayinnawal, on Saturday, the PDP accused the APC-led administration in the state of handling public funds recklessly through what it describes as grossly inflated contracts.
In his reaction to the statement, the state commissioner for information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, described the PDP statement as shameless propaganda lacking merit.
“PDP wishes to raise a serious alarm over the increasing recklessness being displayed by the APC government in the state in the handling of public resources, through the award of grossly inflated contracts that are in defiance of due process and standard financial procedures.
“While Governor Ahmed Aliyu has, on the inception of his government, unilaterally awarded huge contracts with neither the approval of the Executive Council nor the participation of statutory Ministries and Departments, the costs of completed, ongoing, and proposed projects are a clear indication of gross misappropriation of state resources.
“It is inexcusable that the lighting of a few streets in Sokoto Metropolis is costing the people about N2 billion, even as the poles are the existing ones being repainted. The construction of urban streets in two neighborhoods is put at an unprecedented cost of N40 billion, even though none of the roads is up to two kilometers long.
“Our party views as ridiculous the spending of N292 million on the redecoration of three roundabouts in Sokoto, which have already been carried by private companies in the state. So is the allocation of a whopping N1 billion to the purchase of a new fleet of limousines for Governor Ahmed Aliyu.”
The party, however, called on Governor Ahmed Aliyu, “to reconsider the most reckless aspect of his wasteful and questionable intention of spending N800 million on the reconstruction of the Maiduguri Road by Eastern Bypass Road, which is barely two kilometers in length, while the project does not involve any clearing or compensations.
“Our party wishes to join the teeming voices of propriety and reason to implore the APC Government in Sokoto State to be prudent with the people’s resources in the face of more serious and immediate priorities, of which Ahmed Aliyu seems to be oblivious.
“We view these projects as white elephants, against the background of the serious security situation in the state, in which lives are lost, hostages are being taken daily, about which the Government is taking no action. This extravaganza is also taking place, even as Ahmed Aliyu has failed to pay and expressed unwillingness to settle tuition fees for the state’s students in higher learning institutions and fees for WAEC and NECO.
“Our Party wishes to enjoin the APC Government to plough some of the available finances towards solving the scarcity of drinking water in virtually the whole of Metropolitan Sokoto and the bad condition of health facilities in the state, since they took over, especially the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.
“We feel there is a need for Ahmed Aliyu to inspire trust in the state and beyond that contrary to a widely-held impression, the ostentatious conduct of his government has nothing to do with a desperate search for funds to finance the ongoing legal processes against his election or a bid to reap as much as he can from the state before any eventuality.”
Responding, the state government in a statement signed by the state commissioner for information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, described the PDP statement as shameless propaganda.
He described the statement as issued by the PDP as a haphazard press release and ironically enumerated all the achievements of the six months old APC administration, which is very overwhelming. “The bone of contention in the press release is the amount of money the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration is spending on bringing back the lost glory of the good old days Sokoto was known for.
“Although, the PDP in all ramifications has agreed and accepted that the APC has within the last six months changed the socio-economic face of the state but concerned about the huge spending on projects. There is an Igbo saying that better soup na money make am therefore, quality work must surely cost so long as the people benefit from it as the end always justifies the means.
“Talking about road rehabilitation, reconstruction, and rebuilding, the Tambuwal administration spent 8 years, but everyone can count the number of road projects it executed. Apart from the few road projects the PDP executed, the quality of work done is still questionable despite the huge amount it claimed to have spent.”
He further said, “Within its 100 days in office, the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration has executed more road projects than the 8 years Tambuwal administration spent deceiving the electorate.
” Again, the PDP is aware of the exchange rate between the American dollar and the Nigerian Naira which does not need any economist to explain. Almost all the materials used in the road projects were imported and a rough arithmetic will no doubt shut the PDP up. Despite the disparity between the Naira and the Dollar, the APC administration was able to meet the people’s expectations by rehabilitating almost all the bad roads within Sokoto township and redecorate them with state of the art street lights.
“The PDP called on the state government to settle NECO and WAEC as well as tuition fees. Whoever made that call has a short memory lapse. How soon has the PDP forgotten the pain and anguish it caused parents for years when it deliberately refused to pay WAEC and NECO fees denying promising students from writing their final exams? In the history of Sokoto as a state, there was never a time when government failed to settle WAEC, NECO and Tuition fees except during Tambuwal era, yet the PDP has the guts so speak on its monumental failure”
Danchadi also said, “For the records, Gov Ahmed Aliyu was the first in the country to settle all examination fees for post primary and tertiary institutions immediately he came on board. If not for his swift intervention, students of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto would have missed their final year exams all because of the recklessness of the PDP administration. Well it is already on record that the Tambuwal administration has a shameless medal for denying Sokoto indigenes from writing WAEC and NECO. A party that has shame should not be talking about payment of tuition fees, WAEC and NECO.
” Within the first 100 days in office the state government provided over 70 new boreholes to complement the rejuvenated water board and since then over 85 percent of inhabitants of Sokoto have been having access to portable water and all hands are on deck to solve the problem once and for all.
“On the specialist hospital, has the PDP forgotten so soon how Tambuwal starved the place with zero allocation thereby rendering it to a mere clinic? Before Tambuwal left, the hospital had been in darkness for years but today, with the provision of a state of the art generator and restoration of monthly cash allocation, the hospital is once again looking like a hospital and not a mere consulting clinic when Tambuwal left.
“Most ridiculing is the claim that the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration has earmarked a huge budget for the purchase of convoy vehicles. The PDP should ask any member of its party in the House of Representatives the cost of SUV vehicle before condemning the Sokoto state government.”
Speaking on Security, he said it is advisable for the PDP to contact state security agencies and hear from them how concerned the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration is on safety of lives and property. ” Can a government that bought over 70 vehicles and distributed them to the various security outfits be termed as not concerned? How many vehicles did Tambuwal purchase for security agencies in his 8 years?
“The APC administration is proud of its performance and achievements so far and any government that can bring in over 50 new mass transit buses and over 20 taxis for inter and intra state movements, renovate schools and provide working materials, provide water, healthcare services and improve the status of its state capital should be applauded and not condemned” he added.
