[Interview] Gov. Abubakar Is A Liar – Honorable Mohammed Aminu Tukur
Loading ...Honorable Mohammed Aminu Tukur is a one term local government chairman of Tafawa Balewa and two term member of the Bauchi State House Assembly, also a senator aspirant for Bauchi south senatorial districts and close political associate of Speaker House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara. He spoke to our correspondent YAHAYA AUDU in an interview in Bauchi about the many lies of Governor M.A Abubakar on tractors 500 tractors
Procurement, hijacking ward congress, impeachable offenses of the Governor, the Deputy Governor resignation and their decision to dump APC if. And more lingering issues in the state.
Excerpts.
Well, let me say that I am not the Deputy Governor but believing what he is and knowing who he is, I think he has done the right thing. I may wish to recalled, at the inception of this administration we had cause to interact with him along with the Governor with all members of the state house of Assembly, I made mention before the audience that if it is the Nuhu Gidado that I know far back 1969, I know the kind of personality that is in him and I know his capacity to handle certain issues specifically admin issues. I am speaking from experience or from fact that I know him thorough and very well right from childhood I should say, though he happens to be an elder to me but that doesn’t mean that we don’t know each other for quite along time, we have been together for quite a longtime and I know him by his antecedents, now knowing what the Governor is and one can simply say that Nuhu Gidado doesn’t belong to the cycle where the Governor come from and I have that conviction that Nuhu decided to run through the whole period of four years with the Governor then it is a changed Nuhu that I know before. So I am happy that he has seen reasons and has used the reason to justify what he is and what he is been known for by honourably resigning from the government that has all along been inept and unable to perform and unable to do anything that can justify the huge money that has all along been coming into the coffers of the Bauchi State government
So, I congratulate him for taking a bold decision by resigning to make himself relevant in the scheme of things because I certainly sure if he had allowed himself to stay longer believe me he not have the confidence of his people at the end.
Would this affect the APC and the forthcoming 2019 general election in Bauchi?
Well, is known to all of us, APC has all along been the party to challenge in any given kind of circumstances and believing that the president is having the widest support and every body is clamoring that the president should contest again and believing that the president will definitely have the mandate of the people of Bauchi state, I am talking of a specific kind of setting I wouldn’t want to nationalist the issue but obviously the President has all that it takes you know to get the entire people votes of the citizens of Bauchi state but believe me any imposition on the people of Bauchi state will definitely be challenged I stand to tell you that if APC is to fill in the presents Governor in the forthcoming 2019 general election then APC will be history in Bauchi state. I hold no reservation by saying this.
What is your comment on the ward and LG congresses of your party?
Is known to me and everybody the fundamental thing about Nigerians is that we believe in God but we don’t, believe and admonishment of the presence of God only ends up on our lips, it doesn’t go down in our souls and bodies so what I am trying to say here is this, I have had cause to make several pronouncement with regards to the party congresses that were conducted in the state right from the ward congresses to the local government congresses and even in the state congress. It is known to all of us that the independent National Electoral Commission a body that is been provided or rather been sanctioned by the provision of the constitution to be a witness to the whole process has definitely written that there was no Congress in Bauchi state. This is for sure INEC does not recognize any Congress that was conducted in Bauchi state during the very day when the ward congress were held there wasn’t any place all of us are aware, you members of the press you are definitely aware that you cannot tell me a single point where you witnessed people gathered to conduct the party congresses. Let me cited an example the President went to his home town Daura, the congresses were held there in the presence of everybody most of the Governors if not all, the governors of the APC did the same thing can you tell me where you saw Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar participating in Congress in his electoral ward? Can you tell me if you have any clip that the Governor have attended APC Congress of his ward just like Tanko Almakura Ganduje in Kano, El-rufai and all others, we saw them actively participating in the congresses at their respective wards where did Governor M.A Abubakar had his Congress? Let me get to know of it. It goes to tell you that everything was written in the government house and those that were supposed to be arbiters or umpires of the process who come from Abuja they were paid off and they decided to do the bidding of the Government that no body can dispute that.
What is your stand on the ward congresses and how do you feel?
We have written to the National Chairman telling him of all that has been done in Bauchi state and as I have rightly made mentioned we admonished and you know feel very much happy with the position of the INEC. With regards to the congresses in Bauchi state we feel very embarrassed by the activities of the security institutions in the state who danced to tune of the Governor and believe me we have realised that what we want to be done. I mean we just need a kind of free and fair playing ground such that everybody can be seen to be participating and you know the right to decide who to lead us should be given to us as bona-fide members of the party that was not given to us. So haven realised that even the National leadership of the party is not all that serious to yield into our demand for fairness, for equity, for Justice we have decided to go to court we are now before a competent court of law and we have the conviction that we will definitely get the best of judgement because we have our facts and figures handy. We have given warning letters, we have given warning press briefing with regards to the process, we have given them all that it’s take to tell them that we know our stand and we know what we are doing yet they decided not to attend to us and is known to all of you that the congress committee who conducted ward congresses when they came to Bauchi they could not even allow us to see them, our forms were given to us in bids the first consignment of about 60% of the forms were given to us by 2:07 am on Saturday am at night and the balance was given to us by11:am in the morning and by that time they have already written their delegates. The leadership of the party had already been done or rather, clandestinely been done at the instance of the Government of Bauchi state, now and the provision of the congresses are crystal clear that the forms should be sold to eligible applicants and they should return the forms within 24 hours period between the return of the forms and the congress, the National Chairman of the party is aware of the fact that we have been given our forms on Saturday by 11 am and by the provision of the congress law the congresses should, must be shifted to Monday not by 11am on Saturday you still have at least 24 hours to go and distribute it to your respective wards across the state to fill the forms and bring them back. Assuming we were able to bring the forms back on Sunday by 11 that is exactly 24hours we still need 24hours by the provision of the congress laws, by laws of the congresses should have been held on Monday and it was stipulated that the congress is not mandatory that it must be done on Saturday but it must be conclusive by Monday, that was the resolution of the National headquarters of the party this was bastardised and been thrown to the dustbin here in Bauchi. That is item number one, item number two says that the congress committee should not take their result to anybody other than the appeal committee. The appeal committee are suppose to start the appeal process on Tuesday and they must wind up by Thursday in the morning, when the appeal committee came to Bauchi we could not even see them, we can’t even reach them even on telephone, all their telephone lines that were known to us were no longer going through, we had to go from one place to the other looking for them they were no where to be found, we notified the. National Chairman of the APC about the entire things that have been done in Bauchi state and I need not to say that he refused action but definitely he was silent and you know without necessary attention been given to our case. It was along the line that we decided to lodge a case before a competent court of law that is the federal high court in Abuja as I rightly made mentioned and we are optimistic that we will get the best of judgement. But let me put it with emphasis should the court fail to yield into our demands as bona-fide and genuine members of this party believe me we can go to any length and make a decision to dump the party and move elsewhere, this is the obvious, no body can tramp on our right and allow it, I mean to go free, we wouldn’t t do that, we wouldn’t allow that that is obvious.
Can you tell us about the change in APC government in Bauchi State?
Can you tell me anything that you noticed that is a change in the entire process in Bauchi state? Do you want to tell me that the previous government if the were known to be looting treasury the scenario doesn’t exist presently we can rightly and comfortably let me make an example with my LG as a rallying point where I come from it you go to the local government headquarters of my local government during the last four years of Isa Yuguda’s administration government secondary school Bununu was overhauled and completely been renovated a brand new secretariat was build for the local government and maternity clinic and the primary health care Center were equally been renovated and put to standard then, a new cottage hospital was equally build in Bununu during the last four years of Isa Yuguda’ administration I would want to know just a single block that is worth five million naira just a little five hundred million naira that is been done by the present government in Bununu the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa LGA and I am challenging the Governor to tell me anything that they have done in Alkaleri, Kirfi, it is zero all over. Then what is the face of change? Everybody can attest to that things are been done just like a kind of you know, free license to do what over that you want with an inept house of Assembly that cannot even challenge anything.
Was there any provision by the State House of Assembly that the Governor would procure five hundred tractors?
I am not running away from that fact, let me tell you now if the Governor can lie before the world and the President and say that he has procured five hundred tractors that has never been done by any Governor where did he get the mandate to purchase even five tractors? It is not captured in the budged of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Where did he get the mandate to make the procurement? So this is an impeachable offenses the Governor should not purchase anything outside appropriation estimate where did he get the mandate to make such a procurement?
Now, he told the world that he has procured 500 tractors, he has procured not that he is going to procured he has procured already now there after when we challenged him his commissioners came up by saying that forty are already on the ground, people should go and see. Why would he tell the President that he has even procured five tractors as at that time? It was thereafter when forty were brought in and I am still emphasizing where did he get the mandate to make such a procurement?.
Let me make and addition in 2017 budget there was provision of 20 million naira for the procurement of mini tractors for youth empowerment scheme only 20 million naira and there was a provision of fifty six million naira to refurbish 28 tractors that is 2 million per tractor for refurbishment that was just what was in budget of 2017 and in 2018 there wasn’t any provision to procure even a tyre, a brand new tyre to a tractor where did he get the mandate to make such a procurement
How would describe the Governor action towards democracy?
Let me tell you, by the scenario, by what has happened within the provision forthright in Bauchi state it has justified to the world that the Governor is still what he was used to be as a Commissioner. I mean in-charge of INEC in Rivers state so, that element in him has manifested and surfaced without anybody saying the contrary, we have come to know him very well and thorough that he doesn’t belive in democracy but a total dictator to the core he is nothing more than that. PDP had never done it in this type of scenario or rather PDP tend to even make a sought of call it even a gimmick but definitely they can stage it, everybody can see it even if you don’t have the capacity to participate they can even do it just you know to convince people that something happened while its was arrangement that it has everything was cooked and served on the table of the Governor of Bauchi State. Nobody can dispute that.
But the governor said his doors were open for the aggrieved members of APC in the state for reconciliation. And he was ready to forgive?
We don’t have to go him because he hasn’t any element of trust in him, we don’t trust him any longer, there isn’t anything you know truthful about him and about his antecedents and his behaviors and what we have.
Just as you rightly say Mr. President was in Daura for the ward congress, why Speaker Dogara was nor in Bauchi his home town?
Let me tell you, I can vouch in for the Speaker the budget was supposed to be passed on Thursday he had to be their he is the principal I mean he is a figure to reckon with at the National Assembly and everything was saddled on him to handle they have pass the budget on Thursday and on Friday they had to sit down at the house leadership you know to package it all and take it out for presentation to the Presidency that was done on Friday even in the evening now how would he be able to come down to Bauchi knowing fully that he is engaged in handling National issues? That was it, there’s was extremely very busy on Thursday and Friday morning and it was in the National interest rather then premodial interest that has to do with only his constituency, after all he has active lieutenant who can handle his constituency very well for him
You are aspiring for the Bauchi south Senator, do you think you would be given the chance?
I have said it rightly, we belong to APC where we have been short changed and where we are now in a competent court of Justice looking for redress, should the court I mean should fail to get what we want I have rightly made mentioned that we will go to where we feel it is convenience for us to contest and win election. believe me we can go to any length and anywhere and win our election because we know our capacity and we know our relationship with the ordinary man on the street.
What would happen you are not given the chance to contest in APC?
Let me put it back to you in a question form and do you think we will allow them to do you think he will allow them to go scot free without fielding a candidate in any party of our choice? Let the seat be declared vacant, we will act, we wouldn’t allow them an inch to surpass us we wouldn’t allow we would not allow them to do that, yes we are ready for them.
