Open Letter To Chris Ngige, Chairman APC Reconciliation Committee: What You Need To Know Before They Deceive You In Bauchi

Your Excellency Sir,

I want to begin by warmly welcoming you to Bauchi state, the dual home of hospitality and, the famous “Akasa Atsare Araka”, the political ideology that conquered the PDP in the state, in 2007 and 2015.

Your Excellency before I go into the main topic of this piece, I will like to inform you that I became a great fan of yours from the time I first know you in 2003 when you were governor of Anambra state. That was during the height of criminal politics of the PDP, when for the first time in the political history of Nigeria a sitting governor was kidnapped from government house to an unknown destination. Your hard-line stance for justice, equity and fair play, traits that were, and are still absent from the PDP, endeared you to me, especially. Your firm stance against the antics of the power brokers of Anambra state led by the wealthy member of the powerful Uba political family, Mr. Chris Uba is an iconic example courage, conviction and bravery.

Your Excellency Sir, I learned that you arrived Bauchi today, for the onerous task of reconciling warring APC members – both top to bottom members. I also have it on good authority that you are going supervise some road projects embarked upon by Bauchi state governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, apparently to put to lie the allegation by the other side that he was not performing.

It may interest you to know that I have the habit writing open letters to dignitaries who are visiting my state. On December 11, 2016 I wrote a similar letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, who was then billed to visit Bauchi to “commission” some projects. I gave him graphic account of the reality of governance in Bauchi state under Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar. The President later called off his visit, rescheduled it, and then called it off again. Till date he has not visit Bauchi state. Therefore, this letter is just like the other one.

In December 2015, Bauchi state governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar flagged off metropolitan and township road projects in Bauchi state, and the Misau-Bulkachuwa road. The road projects, said to be over 170 kilometres, were awarded at the cost of N20.482 billion.

Your Excellency Sir, it’s been 17 months now, since the flagging off ceremony, but not a single road has been completed and commissioned. In fact, records have shown that only one of them, the Fadaman Mada Link Road reaches 78% completion. And this road passes by the governor’s house in the Fadaman Mada area.

Your Excellency can find below the summary of the projects progress report as at January 2017, and till date, nothing has changed. In fact, contractors have since deserted the site of work, until now that you’re coming to supervise the projects, they were remobilized to site again, in an elaborate plot to deceive you.

Below, the summary please:

 

1. CBN Roundabout-Federal Low cost-Railway Road; This road’s progress is 40% after more than 50% of the total contract sum of N2.3 billion has been paid to the contractor.

 

2. Fadaman Mada Link Road; This one is at 78% completion. And like I said before, the road passes by His Excellency’s house in Fadaman Mada.

 

3. Bauchi Selected Township Roads; Although the selection is very difficult to decipher, the progress of these roads is just 7%. Perhaps after only God knows how much has been paid to the contractors.

 

4. Awala Roundabout-Kano Road; This road’s progress is 12% after over N350 million out of the total contract sum of N1.1 billion has been paid to the contractor.

 

5. Awala Roundabout-Miri; The progress of this road is 15% after 17 months of the award of the contract.

 

6. Darazo-Gafchiyari Road; For this road, N208, 465, 778 million out the total contract sum of N694, 885, 925 million has been paid to the contractor, but work is still at 7% for 17 months of the award of the contract.

 

7. Mararrabar Ganye-Jajiwa-Ganye Gwalfada-Dokayel-Bakin Kogi Road; This road was awarded at the cost of N912, 860, 074 million. N273, 858, 022 million has been paid to the contractor. Progress of work is a mere 15%.

 

8. Misau Selected Township Roads; These roads’ progress is 15%. But N241, 138, 020 million has been paid to the contractor. The total contract sum is N803, 793, 399 million.

 

9. Misau Udubo Road; The progress of this much talked about road is 40%. But the governor’s aides, in their usual propaganda always brandish photos of the part that asphalt has been laid, as the completed road.

 

10. Dualization of Jama’are Road and Rehabilitation of Sule Katagum Road in Azare; The progress of this road is 25%. The total contract sum is N2.453 billion. N736, 059, 277 million has been paid to the contractor.

 

11. Rehabilitation of Udubo-Gamawa Road; The progress of this road is 0%. But N948, 723, 153 million has been paid to the contractor. The total contract sum is N3.1 billion. I think we need EFCC’s intervention in this one.

 

12. Itas-Atafowa-Magarya Road; This road’s progress is 2% after 17 months of the award of the contract, and the contractor pocketed N436, 500, 364 million out of the N1. 455 billion total contract sum.

 

13. Hanafari-Jurara-Dogon Jeji Road; The progress of this road is a shameful 3%. But N256, 932, 442 million has been pocketed by the contractor. The total contract sum is N856, 441, 472 million.

 

Your Excellency Sir, let me not take so much of your time. I believe this article will guide you through, and open your eyes to the impending deception that await you in Bauchi.

Thank you very much for your time.

Musa Azare,

Concerned Indigene of Bauchi State

22-05-2017.