Gov Gaidam & 2019: Dangers Of Blind Investment; Why Bukar Abba, Ibrahim Bomoi must be stopped!

Tukur Mamu

My critics may consider it otherwise, but to keen watchers and objective political observers in Yobe State, my commitment to the state since the SDP and NRC days up to the uneventful and retrogressive days of Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim lasting nearly ten years without any achievements to write home about, I am arguably the most or to put it mildly one of the most consistent citizens who have sacrificed and – even ready to sacrifice my life – consistently determined to educate our citizens through several platforms notably through DESERT HERALD and through the distribution of pamphlets highlighting the rots, massive corruption and misapplication of our collective resources by our political leaders.

I experienced and suffered very much and made so many enemies especially within the sycophants that dominated the domains of such leaders. What I discovered given my experiences over the years regarding such struggle for a better Yobe State is that we have a very good number of people who have no conscience at all and are ignorant about Allah SWT that created them; people that believe in worshipping so called leaders above their creator, Allah SWT, because they believe that the key to getting recognition, position or money is in the hands of such leaders and not Allah, and that it can only be achieved through committing all kinds of Shirk. Allah usually allows them to succeed but they are blind to know that it is Istidiraj. One thing I painfully learnt during my struggles is that one is sacrificing so much for people that perpetually want to live and be treated as slaves in their own state and with their own money. Our attitude as a people since then has not changed. That is why our politicians particularly state and national assembly members are not accountable at all, while appointees of government see such privileges and offer as an opportunity only to enrich selves and to treat other citizens with disregard and disrespect.

This piece is meant to offer sincere advice to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam. It is particularly important because he has less than two years to exhaust his final four years mandate as our governor. But I want to put it on record that this write-up is not meant in any way to attract ANY patronage from him or his government. I am sure that even my critics will accept the bitter fact that by Allah’s grace and even though DESERT HERALD is not a rich organisation, I have today passed the stage where I will beg or lobby for my paper to be patronized or to seek to know somebody. There is nothing I have not seen or reasonably acquired in the practice of journalism. There is no so called big men including President or former presidents, governors or former governors, our distinguished elite or even first class emirs that I have not met or interacted with during the thirteen years of DESERT HERALD’s existence. Also, I am not a politician neither am I seeking for any elective position or want to lobby Governor Gaidam for automatic ticket like we have seen recently in the case of corrupt characters like Ibrahim Bomoi to warrant the following piece.

It is on record that there is no citizen of Yobe State that is very critical of Governor Gaidam and his administration like myself past and present. When he took over from late Mamman Ali my relationship with him and his government was excellent but it deteriorated rapidly owing to our critical reports on his administration and the mischief of some aides. I have no regrets for that at all. I will certainly reconcile the differences with him may be when he is no longer the governor because it is only then he will understand many things and will know the real characters of many around him. Many will wonder why we ceased to write against his administration for almost three years now. I am sure the governor knows very well that it is not out of fear; neither have I been compromised. The governor began getting it right precisely after his well deserved decision to sack his highly corrupt SSG, Engr. Babagoni Machina, and took the decisive decision to suppress the overbearing powers and excesses of many of his appointees that hitherto constituted a major setback to his government. Unlike before, Governor Gaidam has not only repositioned his government today but has remained permanently in Damaturu and hardly travel unless it is absolutely necessary. In Nigeria today, it is only Gaidam and perhaps Governor Ambode of Lagos state that have not indebted their state through fraudulent bank loans and all forms of questionable facilities. From my records, Gaidam did not take any loan and does not execute projects through bank loans despite very little IGR. As a policy which I verified, the governor doesn’t award any contract except there is availability of resources to pay sufficient mobilisation. From what I have gathered during the last two months and if I am to put everything in writing and sincerely too, I may consume the entire piece about the high standard projects the governor executed across Yobe State without finishing it. He has executed a lot of projects in key and critical sectors of health, agriculture, roads, education and water. He has done so much to rid the state and all the 17 Local Governments from ghost workers and invested so much in the civil service. Even though some of his government’s claim on pensioners and other entitlements of retirees and deceased civil servants are not entirely accurate, Gaidam remains the No.1 Governor in Nigeria today that gives the highest priority to workers welfare and consistency in paying salaries.

Gaidam also doesn’t believe in the type of flamboyance and recklessness associated with most state Governors. While his colleagues at any given time and no matter the short notice are always eager and anxious to come to Abuja by chartered plane or precisely to Aso Rock to meet with the President even when there is little or no reason to do so or to attend meetings of the Nigeria/Northern Governors Forum etc, Gaidam always preferred to remain low and avoid huge spending which usually cannot be avioded whenever a governor is travelling due to protocols and number of persons in the entourage. Gaidam will instead send his deputy to represent him while he attends to more pressing state matters at home. In the whole of Nigeria and to his credit, it is only in Yobe State under Gaidam that there is NO recognise First Lady or her unconstitutional function.

During the wasted years of Bukar Abba Ibrahim all his three wives are First Ladies and all of them with full functions, protocols and offices at the expense of the state. Many of us have never for once sighted even on television any of Gaidam’s wives not to talk of seeing them in public function as Islam teaches us. As a governor and unlike his colleagues, Gaidam has married additional wife without any publicity or inviting anyone including his governor colleagues as the sunnah of our prophet teaches us. He has not spend state resources to organise a reception for her. His first son also got married when he was a governor. No one was invited and there was no elaborate ceremony at all. But we have seen how billions of tax payers money are being wasted by virtually all those in position of power and authority if they are getting married or giving their children in marriage. All these and many more are proven attributes of Gaidam that attracted our attention over the last three years.

In view of all the above and as a stakeholder in Yobe State, it is of utmost interest and concern for us to advise Gaidam on his possible successor come 2019. Certainly, we expect the governor in view of what he has achieved to be very careful in choosing his successor because we are sure he will be a proud person if he ensures the emergence of a leader that will continue from where he stopped. Not only for the position of the governor, it is Gaidam’s responsibility to ensure that the APC at the state level did not produce the type of bench warmers and highly insensitive representatives the APC produced in 2015 particularly at the federal level. The era of Bukar Abba’s political dynasty and his domination of Yobe politics as a first step must be over in 2019 under Gaidam’s leadership. Why will the party allow Bukar Abba and his wife to represent the zone for all these years? With the latest sex scandal and the shame he brought to the entire Yobe State there is enough reason for the APC and Gaidam to force Sen. Bukar into compulsory retirement in 2019. I did not know of any project executed by either Sen. Bukar or Sen. Ahmed Lawan over the last eight years and above to warrant their continued stay at the red chamber. No member of their senatorial zone can dare confront them for any assistance. The likes of Bukar Abba, Ahmed Lawan, Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa and many others must be forced out of contest in 2019 if the state must make progress.

Every responsible citizen of Yobe will be very much concerned about who will eventually succeed Governor Gaidam in 2019 and we will struggle henceforth to ensure a suitable and deserving successor. In fact, that is the crux of this piece. I am aware that over the last one year or so my elder brother, Ibrahim Bomoi has been in constant touch with Gaidam trying to convince him about the ‘good’ in him so as to get the governor’s consideration to support and endorse his blind governorship ambition. If that is done by Gaidam which I believe is highly unlikely considering so many factors, Yobe’s future will be permanently mortgaged to a cult group and capitalist elements and will eventually rubbish all the achievements recorded so far. I am not saying this because of my widely reported encounter with Ibrahim Bomoi and his then minister, Sen. Bala Muhammad and how they criminally concocted a failed certificate forgery allegation against me but because I happen to know so much perhaps more than what his own mother knew about the person that wants to charm and deceive Gaidam to support his selfish aspiration. It will be a major political suicide for Gaidam to even contemplate supporting Bomoi’s ambition.

Bomoi entered politics and the APC because of single aspiration. Whatever contribution he most have done in the past to Gaidam’s re-election financially or otherwise as he used to brag before his friends was done because of the same ambition. Typical of Bomoi, If he respects and shows loyalty to Gaidam today it is being done for the same reason. The true colours of who Bomoi actually is will only be known by Gaidam if he commits the political suicide of supporting him to become his successor. For Gaidam’s information, Bomoi is only using the APC as the ruling party in the state as a convenient platform. In his naivety and political (mis)calculations, Bomoi depends on many hatchet factors to succeed. The first is to get Gaidam’s support and endorsement which is crucial to him while he has also established a strong contact at the National Secretariat of the APC as another option in case Gaidam’s support is not forthcoming. The idea is to force a governorship candidate on Yobe APC and to manipulate the upcoming APC governorship primary election in his favour as plotted by his late friend, Mamman Ali leaving the then governor Bukar Abba helpless and with no option than to accept late Ali against his preferred candidate, late Usman Albishir, while the third which he hope to use after he most have secured the APC ticket is his current romance with the Yobe PDP through Adamu Maina Waziri so as to get the votes of the people of that zone and that of the entire PDP followers in the state should Waziri agree to engage in anti-party politicking.

I am sure Bomoi is deceiving himself no matter the assurances he most have received from Adamu Waziri if any. And I am sure too that Bomoi cannot buy the conscience and integrity of Adamu Waziri with even legitimate money not to talk of a stolen one. Gaidam should know with certainty that if Bomoi becomes governor today there won’t be any question of loyalty on Bomoi’s part to him or to any party elder. How can the highly conceited Bomoi that always prides himself as a close friend of Governor Gaidam’s late boss, Mamman Ali, respect and be loyal to the political godson and former deputy to his (Bomoi’s) late friend? How can a person that stole so much billions and with the attitude to always dominate, manipulate and control others be a good and deserving successor to a governor that has achieved so much?

My second reason against endorsing Ibrahim Bomoi’s aspiration by Gaidam or by any responsible person in Yobe State bothers on morality question. Bomoi is certainly too immoral to be a governor of a Sharia state. Supporting his aspiration is like endorsing homosexuals and alcohol consumers to take over governance in the state. If that happens God forbid, Damaturu Government House will not only be like a beer parlour but a brothel and safe heaven for homosexuals where our children and younger ones will be easily compromised and be recruited into sodomy with little money. His chief strategist, friend and political adviser, Yayangida Fili, a University of Maiduguri dropout and who is not up to thirty seven years, is a renowned homosexual so also many that are close to him. I used to try as much as possible to always avoid discussing about private lives of individuals in my write-up but this issue is very important for the lives and destiny of more than three million citizens of Yobe. Our duty as citizens that have such credible and privileged information is to boldly enlighten the leadership about the dangers ahead and to put it on record though with so much pain so that even if the leaders didn’t listen, posterity will judge us. Gaidam cannot also support a person that doesn’t have control of his three wives at home and a person that acts according to the dictates of his overbearing wives. If that happens the era of Bukar Abba or even worse will be revisited; we will certainly have three First Ladies in Yobe. Instead of supporting group of homosexuals that can kill because of their ambition to emerge as our leader(s) in 2019 and if Gaidam has indeed decided to support politicians from my zone and from my tribe to emerge, I will rather advise that he consider Alhaji Baba Ba’aba because we only accused Baba Ba’aba of corruption but he is morally a very upright person, religious and highly reserved. He is not a womanizer and has worked very hard for the party over the years.

As the battle for 2019 gradually draws nearer and no matter the threat we face, we will continue to keep the public and the leadership in Yobe State well informed while they have the choice to decide what to do. But in view of the steady progress we have seen in Yobe under Gaidam there is the need for the governor to be very careful and pray hard for Allah to give him the wisdom to endorse and support a suitable successor. Gaidam must also use every available executive powers to resist any attempts by our Abuja politicians through the National Secretariat of the APC to impose candidate(s) on the state if not he will at the end be the first casualty either as a senator or as a private citizen.

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(This piece is available in www.desertherald.com, DH Facebook, www.universalreporters247.com and several other online platforms)