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13 Feb 2012 By Aliu Ibrahim
Aliu
Politics, they say, is a
dirty game and according to the present governor of
Kano State, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in the Daily
trust of May 27, 2011, "people who play it dirty
will get it dirty." Indeed, the governor might be
aptly referring to his predecessor, the former
governor of the state, Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau who
investigated him in 2003 for the diversion of the
state ecological and scholarship funds, in which the
governor was grossly found guilty and consequently
earned him a government white paper of corruption and
embezzlement. But the Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission, which was conspicuously in existence
never, raised an eyebrow for investigation at least,
to know what happened. Rather, the governor was
rewarded with ministerial position, believing that
whatever happens, it is always a PDP family affair
since the party that brought about the ICPC in 2000
also brought Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as governor.
Since Engr. Rabiu Musa
Kwankwaso assumed office some six months ago as the
governor of Kano State for the second time, he has
been playing it dirty with his predecessor, Malam (Dr)
Ibrahim Shekarau and nothing he has not done to
tarnish his hard earned image with impunity. Realizing
that there was nowhere he could rope Shekarau into his
dirty politics, the activities of the so called NGO in
Kano became an alternative to save face. It then
raised false alarm in its petition to ICPC and if for
nothing, at least, to embarrass Malam (Dr) Ibrahim
Shekarau since in the belief of some people in this
country, Nigeria, it has become a taboo for any one to
be adjudged clean and so, Shekarau should not be an
exception. Having perfected his wuju-wuju
politics, governor Kwankwaso pretentiously went ahead
to publicly declare that he has left Shekarau with God
and so he would not probe him. This is to avoid being
tagged vindictive and revengeful, which his character
trait portrays.
It is therefore not a
surprise to any one to read the story that the
Independent Corrupt Practices Corruption (ICPC) will,
after several insinuations and ill talks, investigate
Shekarau, which was published in the Daily trust
and some other media in their editions of November 18,
2011. In fact, it was certain that since dirty water
had passed under the bridge, perhaps with the
influence of the same man who thinks he could play God
by publicly proclaiming that he would not probe
Shekarau as he had handed him over to God for
judgment, when the fact remains that it is not in his
character to easily forgive and forget.
Incidentally, the former
governor Shekarau had made it clear that he was not in
any way afraid of any probe by either the government
of Kwankwaso or any of her syndicates, believing that
only a guilty conscience fears accusation. All this
not withstanding, the allegations by the NGO in Kano
against Shekarau might be mere figments of her
imaginations and it is also clear that ICPC, as usual,
might also be unknowingly being used to do the bidding
of smear campaigns of calumny against the humble
Shekarau. This can be attested against the background
of the fact that, ICPC which directed that "the
ex-governor Shekarau be invited to answer questions
raised in the petition" against him seems to have
equally adjudged him 'guilty' by claiming that "its
team of investigators visited the state where it
uncovered a lot of financial malpractices in the award
of contracts as claimed by the petitioner." If ICPC
had already found Shekarau guilty by mere visiting the
state, why must it again "invite Shekarau to answer
questions raised in the petition?" How can we pass
judgment before investigation, knowing full well that
honest judgment could only be attained after listening
to both the petitioner and the defendant really beats
our imagination? Perhaps, this double stands of ICPC
also require investigation by another independent
third party to ascertain if the ICPC and the NGO in
Kano are not birds of a feather. Again, the
credibility of the ICPC team that visited the state
before pronouncing judgment after hearing one side of
the story should equally be tested because the fact is
that as at the time the ICPC team came to Kano for its
kind of investigation, the defendant of the petition,
Shekarau was away in Saudi Arabia. It is therefore
awkward for ICPC team of investigators to have only
listened to the politically infested NGO in Kano
without waiting to hear from the defendant before
making judgment.
Conversely, the claim and
allegation by the ICPC investigators in their report
that "the immediate past governor awarded the
construction of an 11-bedroom apartment to himself to
the tune of
It should be remembered
that the former governor Shekarau is the first
governor in Kano State to have succeeded himself,
having won two consecutive terms in office. In view of
this remarkable feat, the government of Shekarau was
in position to provide the benefits in fulfillment of
the remuneration law for governor Kwankwaso, his
deputy (Abdullahi Ganduje), former governor Shekarau
and his deputy (Magaji Abdullahi) who had already
completed their first terms in office.
Governor Kwankwaso's
deputy, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje allegedly applied for
his benefits under the law and suggested a house of
10-bedroom apartments to be purchased for him, in
which at the end of the day, Shekarau government
allegedly paid him the sum of
However, it is alleged that
Governor Kwankwaso received two Geep cars and pension
entitlements in line with the law. Shekarau's former
Deputy, Alhaji Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo has not
enjoyed his own house benefit because he had just
completed his first term in the second term of
Shekarau administration. It is however expected that
the present governor Kwankwaso would also arrange that
of Gwarzo for him. In his own case, the ex-governor
Shekarau did not demand for monetization of his own
house. It is true that he was entitled to a six
bedroom apartment but as a devoted Muslim with four
wives, the six bed-room apartment would certainly not
have been enough for him. The cost of his pension was
then added to top the total cost of the six bedroom
apartment he is entitled to, to get the present eleven
bedrooms apartment, which the ICPC investigators and
the so called NGO are now making hue and cry about.
Indeed, if really there was
a proper and unbiased investigation by the ICPC
investigators, this simple truth, which had earlier
been made public when governor Kwankwaso government
was in a hurry to blackmail Shekarau immediately the
former assumed office, would have been reflected in
their report and formally made known to the public by
ICPC spokesman, Resident Consultant Folu Olamiti in
his press statement issued in Abuja on November 17,
2011. But where interest might be involved, all these
facts could easily be swept under the carpet and this
type of politics has been grossly responsible why
genuine war against corruption is hard to win in
Nigeria, especially after eleven years in existence.
On the issue of 50 percent
mobilization fee paid for a contract as against the 15
percent allowed by the law, the public would also like
to know if the said contract was executed or
abandoned. If the contract was executed, the issue of
percentage to be paid as mobilization fee talked about
by ICPC investigators becomes apolitical and if it was
abandoned, it is then, the government of Shekarau has
case to answer. Any thing short of this will only
amount to beating about the bush.
It is now clear that the
former governor Shekarau is being witch hunted by
those who want to have their on pound of flesh and as
we await to hear from the ex-governor his own side of
the allegations leveled against him by the NGO in Kano
Government House in complacency with the power that
be, it is instructive to remind ourselves that the
same ICPC involving itself in the alleged corrupt
practices of Shekarau government had also given a
clean slate to ex-governor Shekarau government where
its former Boss, retired Justice Emmanuel Ayoola had
advised other state governments to emulate Shekarau by
setting up anti-corruption agencies such as the then
Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption
Directorate (PCACD).
This rejoinder is not meant
to exonerate and incriminate any one but an attempt to
put the record straight so that the public which is
entitled to know the truth, and nothing but the truth
is allowed to enjoy this inalienable right, without
the coercion of any vested interest under the façade
of NGO and ICPC. Thus, looking at the foregoing, one
can now understand the kind of NGO and ICPC we have in
this country. With the type of Shekarau we know and
his lofty achievements while in office, it is certain
that he will come out unscathed after honouring the
invitation of the ICPC to clear his side of the issue,
noting that invitation is not synonymous to being
adjudged guilty. Even if the blackmailers and those
dubiously pressing the button behind the door succeed
in their mischief against the man of God, such success
is temporary and will never stand the test of time.
Finally, let Shekarau face
the ICPC, state what he did or did not do and simply
leave the rest for posterity and God to judge not
minding whatever wrongful persecutions he might face
in the hands of oppositions.
Aliu Ibrahim Aliu, Kano City, Kano. Email:
aliuibrahimaliu@yahoo.com |
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