OPEN LETTER TO ALIYU MAGATAKARDA WAMAKKO, GOVERNOR, SOKOTO STATE

BY

ALHAJI (DR.) ATTAHIRU DALHATU BAFARAWA

(GARKUWAN SOKOTO)

Long before the inception of your administration, I have tried not to join issues with you on any platform, either in politics or in government. As part of my efforts to play the role of an elder, I invited you for a meeting immediately you were declared as Governor-elect of Sokoto State after April, 2007 election. I sent the then Head of Service to invite you for a meeting in preparation for the handing over. You accepted the invitation and suggested that I should go ahead and fix the date, time and venue. I called you on phone where we both agreed on the date and time for the meeting.

2. To my surprise, however, you sent the Head of Service to me just two hours to the time of the meeting to inform me about your change of mind not to attend the meeting. I got worried because of the importance of the meeting to both of us and the State. I thought it was highly imperative for us to meet as the outgoing and incoming Governors in order to create opportunity for you to ask questions on various issues that border on the governance of Sokoto State and in particular issues raised in my handing over notes to you. I went the extra mile to send people to you to persuade you to attend the meeting which you deliberately failed to honour. The Commissioner of Police, the State Director, State Security Services and the Brigade Commander of that time were among people I sent to you to convince you to attend the meeting which you failed to honour. You decided to misuse that opportunity for the sake of your self-serving agenda.

3. However, immediately after you were sworn in as the Governor, you did not even leave the venue of the event when you alleged that I did not even leave the N12 billion in the State coffers as claimed in my handing over note. On hearing your allegation, I sent a letter to the EFCC to freeze the State Accounts in order for them to investigate and find out who was telling the truth. It took the EFCC almost two years without responding to my letter. Thank God you later confirmed and agreed in one of your press briefings that I actually left the said amount of money in the coffers of the State. Throughout that period, out of my desire not to join issues with you, I kept quiet despite the abuses and intimidations that myself and my associates have been receiving from you and your government.

4. Recent developments have, however, compelled me now to put up this open letter to you so as to express my highest level of preparedness to face any committee/commission of investigation into our Administration particularly the issues raised in your petitions to ICPC and EFCC against me and my associates. Permit me to remind you that my eight years of Administration in Sokoto State was not Bafarawa Administration alone. It was Bafarawa/Wamakko Administration of which you served for seven years as my Deputy. I therefore implore you to go ahead and re-open all the petitions you sent to all the anti-graft agencies against me and re-submit them to the Commission of Inquiry you set up in the State to investigate our Administration. I am ready to make myself available and to defend all my deeds during my eight years in office.

5. Some of the petitions written against me and my associates by your Attorney-General indicated that I am a Director on the Boards of P.W. Nig Ltd and News Engineering Nig Ltd. I am however surprised that your Government has retained these companies and they are now at various sites working to complete the projects awarded to them by our Administration. It is on record that you have already paid to them more than One Billion Naira on the contracts which you and your associates have then alleged that were over inflated by our Administration.

6. My decision to agree to respond to all your unnecessary attacks and baseless allegations was informed by the need to set the records straight for the sake of our dear State and democracy at large. I can no longer afford to fold my arms and watch my image and hard earned integrity being tarnished in the media daily without any just cause. Under the normal public service procedure, reports or recommendations of Administrative Committees of Inquiry (particularly in cases where those accused were never given the opportunity to be heard) are never made issues of public discussion until/unless they have been accepted by the Government. I am sure you are aware of some of the issues for which my good name and those of my associates are being deliberately tarnished on the pages of Newspapers were based on some Audit Reports which were never seen or responded to by the relevant Accounting Officers of Ministries/Departments concerned whose duty it is to respond to such Audit queries.

7. In fact, some of the Committees recommendations are, to a very large extent, emotional and conclusive as evident in the Attorney-General’s Press Statement where his Solicitor-General was reported to have swiftly ordered that I and my associates are to refund the sum of N4 billion to Sokoto State Government for services not satisfactorily rendered or not done at all.

8. It is on record that during the period of our Administration, I set up three powerful project monitoring and implementation committees (one in each Senatorial Zone) under the Chairmanship of three highly respected gentlemen who were known for their good records of service, impeccable character and sound moral integrity in the persons of Alhaji Garba Gummi, Alhaji Buda Gummi and Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar. These principled and honest gentlemen were mandated to supervise all contracts awarded by our Administration and issue certificates for payment when jobs were satisfactorily completed. The Chairman and members of all these committees are still alive and working with your Administration. I therefore challenge you to find out from them if there is any day I asked them to issue certificates on jobs not completed or not done for payment.

9. My brother, it was never my intention to react to all your attacks and intimidations on me and my associates if not for the deliberate and orchestrated attempt of your Government to tarnish my good image. You will recall that the highest level of personal attacks was meted out to me when went to Gwadabawa Local Government to publicly abuse my father during the last gubernatorial re-run election. I never responded to your abuses and I will never waste my time in doing so. You are also aware that you have openly and deliberately victimised me by your denial to pay my monthly entitlements as provided for by the Law passed by the State House of Assembly. The Law provides for former Governors and their Deputies to continue to enjoy their monthly salaries and other allowances for life. You abided by that Law and paid my Deputy who served for eight months only but refused tom pay me after my eight years of service to the State.

10. In the light of these, Your Excellency, while it is never my intention to join issues with you, I wish to assure you that I am at all times ready to face any Committee of investigation and to defend my actions during my tenure. While I am not saying that I will a Judge in my own case, I will throw my case before the public Court of the entire people of Sokoto State. I am certain that when we meet there, the truth shall prevail.

Robot  # 1 | 06.02.2009 02:17

OPEN LETTER TO ALIYU MAGATAKARDA WAMAKKO, GOVERNOR, SOKOTO STATE BY ALHAJI (DR.) ATTAHIRU DALHATU BAFARAWA (GARKUWAN SOKOTO) Long before the inception of your administration, I have tried not to join issues with you on any platform, either in politics or in government. As part of my efforts to play the role of an elder, I invited you for a meeting immediately you were declared as Governor-elect ofSokotoStateafter April, 2007 election. I sent the then Head of Service to invite you for a meeting in preparation for the handing over. You accepted the invitation and suggested that I should go ahead and fix the date, time and venue. I called you on phone where we both agreed on the date and time for the meeting. 2.To my surprise, however, you sent the Head of Service to me just two hours to the time of the meeting to inform me about your change of mind not t...Read the full article.

ttonjo  # 2 | 06.02.2009 04:53

You are also aware that you have openly and deliberately victimised me by your denial to pay my monthly entitlements as provided for by the Law passed by the State House of Assembly. The Law provides for former Governors and their Deputies to continue to enjoy their monthly salaries and other allowances for life. You abided by that Law and paid my Deputy who served for eight months only but refused tom pay me after my eight years of service to the State. There is no smoke without fire!! This is a disgrace, when the people who should be hold in high esteem turned out to be the opposite. Now that the 'wuruwuru' or should I say 'magomago' i.e. {one of the local languages for DISHONESTY in Nigeria}, has sowed the seed of discord between both the ex-Governor and his former deputy, the former deem it fit to come here to air their dirty linens in public. These are the most selfish and wicked people that do not care about the welfare of their people and think about good legacy that could benefit them forever, but dubiously passed the law to pay themselves monthly salaries and allowances for life. For doing what, if I may ask Mr. selfish ex-governor? Not even a wealthy societies like US, and Britain etc, that you find the ex public office holders being pay a FULL salary and allowances for life. (Not even Obama, could passed the law to pay himself and his deputy, salaries and allowances for life). This could only happen in Nigeria. It is shame that out of greed and selfishness, you came here to cry foul because your dubious entitlements is not being paid to you. How about the welfare of the poor people you left behind in Shokoto State? :rant::rant::rant:

datuouwadaberechi  # 3 | 06.02.2009 12:00

@ttonjo. thanks for bothering to even dignify d article with a response.

segxie  # 4 | 06.02.2009 12:59

We should not allow all this shameless thieves and criminals to write in NVS.Woe betide you ex-governor and all of u looting the God given resources of Nigeria.Bafarawa,u can go to hell and die.No cares for the gov.is doing 2 you now.what can u point to as your achievements for d 8 years u ruin sokoto state?Nonsense

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)  # 5 | 06.02.2009 15:31

=Robot;322204>Long before the inception of your administration, I have tried not to join issues with you on any platform, either in politics or in government. As part of my efforts to play the role of an elder, I invited you for a meeting immediately you were declared as Governor-elect ofSokotoStateafter April, 2007 election. I sent the then Head of Service to invite you for a meeting in preparation for the handing over. You accepted the invitation and suggested that I should go ahead and fix the date, time and venue. I called you on phone where we both agreed on the date and time for the meeting. 2.To my surprise, however, you sent the Head of Service to me just two hours to the time of the meeting to inform me about your change of mind not t...Read the full article. With all due respects to the Villagers who have commented before me, I disagree with your take on this. This is because I am happy that this falling out is being made public and served out to the court of public opinion. To disparage the courage of Mr. Ex-Governor, whatever the root causes of his current grief, in bringing this to public forum, is to deny the accountabilty of (s)elected officials to the public. He has cast the first stone that suggests that the current governor was not only unprepared for governance, but equally irresponsible by declining to attend a handover meeting prior to assuming power, despite attempts to get him to do so. These are weighty allegations in their own right as they suggest that the present governor had parochial interests that goes beyond state interest and views his current position as a personal priviledge rather than an opportunity to serve the public! There are other details exposed by Mr. ex-Governor that borders on financial impropriety between both of them when they were co-travellers, albeit, he has sought to distance himself from such, if any, shenanigans. It is incumbent upon the current governor, who has now been accused in the court of public opinion to justify his take on these accusations and the actions credited to him. Yes, serving governors may be immune from legal prosecution while they hold office, but are not immune from the court of public opinion. I would, personally, like to see this palaver play out in the public forum so Nigerians can start to hold their leaders more accountable. Bravo, Mr. ex-Governor, but can I ask, "Now that you are an "un"common Nigerian citizen today, do you think the law justifying continous pay for ex-serving officers rather than pension is okay?" Over to you, Nigerians.:hail::hail::hail:

ikoyiesho1  # 6 | 07.02.2009 14:23

Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Welcome to NVS...I hope you're enjoying life as a retired elder state Man...... I am sure you've garnered a great deal of experience which will be useful to the development of sokoto state. but before responding to the issue of Mr Wammakko..could you please provide answer to following questions and allegations. (1) There were alegations that you purchased a house in london in year 2004 with the following address while you were governor No. 9, Radnor road London W2 2TF but you never provided evidence that you do not own the house, can you please throw more light into that for Nigerians. (2) I recently travelled to Sokoto in respect of a project which I am championing and i was struck by the level of poverty, hunger and illiteracy which i saw, is that to say that all your projects were not sustainable or did you not contribute to poverty alleviation and educational programmes at all? (3) Could you give us a justification for getting a constant monthly salary for life after active service, other than pension... If you answer this questions convincely then.... you are just my hero for life... Hope to read from you soon. Ikoyiesho1...

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)  # 7 | 07.02.2009 18:38

Ikoyiesho, Many thanks for your excellent riposte here. Mr. ex-Governor, You know what they say about those who come to equity? Let them come with clean hands! I am presuming your hands are clean at this point in time, till proven otherwise. Could ikoyiesho be wrong about those questions he raised? Are you ready to prove him wrong as with other allegations by the current Mr. Sokoto State governor? Are you ready to tango?:clap: If you are, get ready to ruuummmmbleeeee!:p

Agidimolaja  # 8 | 08.02.2009 02:24

Kay Soyemi, I'm not aware of what you said you disagreed about in the responses of Villagers who responded before you. Your both responses so far reflected similar opinion that our folks before you expressed, except that they were more blunt and have no reservations for the exgovernor. Trust me,I loved their choice of words for him. -------------- The shameless attitude displayed by Bafarau is not strange to our society. Atiku did not see anything wrong in Obj's administration and Baba Laguda's method of goverance{of which he was part of, all along} until Baba Laguda was standing on his way to become the next President. He cried,FOUL! But Baba Laguda, demolished Atiku when he wrecked his political ship in 2007. The downfall of a man as they say,may not be the end of his life.Nigerians are watching and waiting. Gen Theo Danjuma threatened that he would go on self-exile if Obj was not imposed upon the nation. Theo did not see anything wrong with his former boss and good friend Obj,until some of his oil blogs were taken or cut down to size. Danjuma too like Atiku turned his coat,went wild and sarted to scream so loudly and noisily at the rooftop. The Jukun noted murderer even lost control of himself to the extent that he went to disturb{in their graves}, two of his innocent former superior officers that he brutally murdered about fourty years ago. Poor Theo! Enter Bafarau! His letter said it all.We should not be in doubt as to why he went all the way to publish this letter. The used up man's salary has not been paid! Habba! Bafarau,habba! All these topsy-turvy just because of salary, even after you had massively enriched yourself during that eight years of looting jambore? This is a heartless man who is masquerading as a moslem and an advocate of Sharia. Sharia shi...! Ikoyieso1 just visited Sokoto State.The truths he dicovered were so heart beaking. Maybe that was his first visit to the barbaric Islamic State of Sokoto. Well,I have been visiting Sokoto area as far back as the 50s when I was only a little primary school boy and all during Sir Ahmadu Bello's NPC reign. Till today, Sokoto has not much to show in all aspects of life. Sokoto is still the most backward State in the entire country despite the fact that it is the seat of Islamic Sultan and also was the home of Sir Ahmadu Bello. They clung to Islam as if to say Mohamed was born and lived in there.Yet they have failed totally in every endeavour of modern life including their so called Islam. Sokoto is one of the most dishonest place on the surface of this planet hence Bafarau forced Sharia upon the people just to increase their pains,andguish,poverty and wretchedness. Was it not in Sokoto that the so called headquarter of Islam that kuturu Dansuki was dubiously installed as the Sultan? He was however occupying the seat illegally until Abacha kicked his butt. Yet,they tell us that Islam is this,Islam is that.Tell it to the winds.I know too well what Islam is and what it represents - thieving,killing,etc Few months ago when I visited Nigeria,I stopped over in Sokoto and discovered to my utter amazement that Sokoto is as backward as ever despite all the lies they are telling us about Sharia. Good for you Bafarau. Why are you now crying? Were you not the Governor when Sharia was introduced in Sokoto State as against the constitution of Nigeria? If your primitive and perverse State Legislatures signed it into law that you should be paid your huge salaries until the grave closed up on you,why then did your fellow Sharia advocate, Magartakandar, doublecross you? Is that what your satanic and dubious religious tenet teaches? I'm so glad that neither of them can help to effect the payment of your undeserved salary which I see as nothing but an extension of tresury looting despite the wretched life you subjected your people to. Egba mi o! Thief don thief thief in Sokoto State! Pls,Fela where art thou? What happened to the huge amount of money you collected from Abuja every month for eight years? Ikoyieso1 just told us that it does not seem as if any money was ever collected on behalf of the people of Sokoto State considering their wretchedness in Sokoto State. I second the motion, for I beheld Sokoto State with mine own eyes too. You looted their money and you are still imposing additional burdens upon the people, that they should continue to service your Othman Dan Fodio's type of avaracious lifestyles until you breathed your last. Truely,you are taskmaster. But people under Sharia slavery knew too well that only their leaders can steal,loot and pilage as the masses watch helplessly in perfect silence. If a lower class individual's wrist was cut off for stealig a cow,I wondered in vain why you have not been maimed in all your limbs considering the huge amount of money you ran away with. Margatandar,your former errand boy who was there with you both in sun and in rain{how much he took to hmself we may never know} did well by turning down your invitation to attend any quasi meeting.He probably did not trust you and was security conscious. The good thing is that he was under no obligation {by our constitution} to attend any sort of pre-handing over meeting with a spent ammo like you. Not that I cares about Margatakanda himself.He was willing tool in the good old days and you jointly forced Sharia upon your people and have no respect for people of different religions as provided for in the constitution. I'm however glad that he stood his ground against you since your wings have been clipped by lack of immunity. Cry on, Bafarau,pls cry on.And where is your Sharia in such an hour as this!

Danhajiya  # 9 | 09.02.2009 06:52

Agidimolaja, Very disappointing. Your age, your stupidity, your vituperations tells it all. How would I mind you when the only thing you can see is the negativity of others. YORUBA PLEASE THINK TWICE.

ajede  # 10 | 09.02.2009 15:47

A few points come to light, in my opinion, with this article by the ex-governor: 1. That those in power are aware of the internet forums like NVS, where concerned Nigerians vent their frustrations about the state of their country, and where at the same time the deeds and misdeeds of those same in power are recorded and archived for posterity. 2. That the ex-governor's main grievance is the lack of payment of his for-life salary, though this point was "cleverly" left as the last in the list of his complaints against his former deputy. 3. The shameless fact of daring to complain about the non-payment of the lifelong entitlements, that he and fellow governors have allocated to themselves, just because they have served for a maximum of eight years, on top of what they have stolen from the public. 4. If the ex-governor had put in place a viable legal framework during his tenure, he would have gone to the courts to seek redress, assuming he is standing on a firm ground for his grievances. To me, the ex-governor is only shedding crocodile tears; we would never have seen his shadow in this village if he had been receiving his monthly dues as planned.

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