Gladly, I am humbly able to write on this particular topic based on my concern with the distress caused to my people by our so-called “leaders’.
As a youth, I am particularly disturbed by the level of neglect our future is being treated with. As such, I am saddled with the obligation to speak up for my generation with the aim to eliminate any possible danger that could lead us to a stagnant future.
Who is a Leader? A leader is a person like you and I but with obvious responsibilities of Analysing, controlling, implementing and monitoring principles and ideas of driving progress and development in a particular system of government, society or group of people. A good leader is a person that sets examples by doing what is right, by redirecting his followers on the right track. Leadership is very important in any tier or aspect of life. It plays a vital role in assessments of human resource management. If the leadership of any society goes wrong, that society eventually gets crippled of its potential to socially develop and economically stabilize.
On the contrary, a bad leader is the direct opposite of a good one. Sadly, some of our leaders play a major role in jeopardizing and crumpling of our societies. Their attitude and behavior towards governance is undeniably fuelled by greed, corruption, selfishness, ignorance, lack of proper leadership skills and qualities, improper political morality and incompetency. As such, they become nothing less than the architects of a potentially demolished society and the political mindset of a younger generation. The youths are the bedrock of any society and the future depends on their ability and willingness to serve properly. They often emulate whatever pattern of governance their elders lead them with.
Who is a Political Vulture? Vultures are garbage collectors of the bird kingdom. They are usually drawn to death and uncleanliness and so, they enjoy destruction and the filth of life i.e. everything corrupt, rotten, and stinking.
“Vulture politicians” are attracted to people with problems. They love to see people suffer and fail, and they use their words of deception to manipulate and destroy people’s lives. They spread rumors and seem to enjoy ruining other people’s hard earned reputation.
For example, ever since the assumption of office by the current administration in Katsina State, they use every media channel necessary to do their blame-game shows, which obviously consist of undiplomatic approach to destroy the reputation of the immediate past governor.
On service delivery: Recall, the Former Governor of Katsina State Alh (Dr.) Ibrahim Shehu Shema did an outstanding job during his Eight-year tenure, especially in the areas of infrastructural development, agriculture, education, health, rural and urban water supply to mention but few in the state, and for that reason, his strenuous efforts to move the state forward is undoubtedly commendable.
The former governor disclosed in a statement that he left a whopping sum of N14Billion in the State’s treasury before he left the service and that as of 29th May, 2015 Katsina State had no debt in its coffers.
Despite Mr Shema’s credibility in executing relevant projects that boosted economy in the state, he had not been able to scale through allegations of financial mismanagement and public funds embezzlement as challenged by his opposition hence being dragged to court.
For most of us, the investigative process seems to be a mere cover-up method for the current administration to manufacture a way through their escape from full responsibilities of good governance, as such, they neither do their jobs nor fulfil their political “manifestos” as promised during the 2015 campaign rallies . (They play time-exhausting-games by the way!)
“It is in people’s testimony that Governor Masari distributed the 2015 model of brand new Peugeot 3008 S.U.Vs to each member of the State House of Assembly barely three months in office, he also gifted lots of Money and cars to non-indigent singers, Kannywood personalities, and other personalities especially Females (i.e his bad girls). And all these happened at the time when he constantly fad about the state’s treasury being empty. Can you imagine?”. –A SOURCE SAYS
We’ve also witnessed the changes he made of street names and many other public places built by Gov. Shema. And for that reason, it becomes clear to the people that Mr Shema is Mr Masari’s most feared enemy.
Although the current administration is paying more attention to delivering irrelevant projects, their relationship with the hoodlums remains intact even though they pledged to provide job opportunities for the jobless as well as to fight against the use of drugs. These jobless hoodlums are still being gormlessly used by them!
Instead of using our teeming youths to achieve their selfish goals, how about enrolling them in the Shema-built Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV) where they could acquire vocational skills in various areas of arts and crafts i.e tailoring, shoe making, paint making, phone and computer repairs etc.? If that would be done, I am sure there would be significant decrease in crimes committed by the jobless young people in the state.
Mr Masari’s idea of creating of political campaign organizations such as the Masari Restoration Awareness forum, Masari House-House youth awareness forum and so many others, whose jobs are to publicize true and false news about the happenings of the present government, is insanely undemocratic. The organizations were created even before Mr Masari’s first year in office. They operate at the best interest of Mr. Governor and not the people of Katsina State.
The “Masari Restoration Awareness Forum” functions diligently to promulgate the irrelevant and baseless fund-consuming petty projects executed by the current administration. Similarly, the “House-to-House youth awareness forum” as the name implies uses direct method to persuade young people to vote for them come 2019 general elections.
So if “the restoration hero” as he claims needs the services of those organizations in order to be entrusted with votes from the masses again, where is the transparency, accountability, and fairness he claimed as a campaign slogan?
The ‘hired’ Forum is best at what they do? But unfortunately, the President himself has no clue about the projects Mr Masari and his team claims to be executing because I’m pretty sure if he was, he would have severally visited his own state purposely in the course of commissioning the projects.
A second thought on Gov. Masari’s 2018 Budget Presentation: In the governor’s speech, he stated that between 1st January and 31st October 2017, the state government expended the sum of N4,219,734,375 on debt servicing alone. With the interest of 10% only, it means we have a debt of over N42billion. This means that we move from zero to at least N42billion in 2-years 5-months and servicing such debt at N4.2billion in 10-months or over N420million per month.
N4,219,734,375 would have done these if properly utilised:
- · Provide jobs to 120,564 youths at the rate of N32, 000 per month or 234,000 people at the National minimum wage of 18,000. Let’s say if our collapsed companies were to be revived i.e. the Sugar factory, Cotton ginning industry, etc.
- · Build 22 modern cottage hospitals/clinics at the rates of N200million per hospital/clinic that will cater for the health needs of about 1.13million men, women and children in a year.
- · Provide portable drinking water to at least 10 communities of 500 people at N4.2million per motorized borehole. In other words, the amount paid on debt servicing from January to October, could have been used to provide portable drinking water to 50, 000 people in 100 communities in 1 month or 500, 000 people in 1,000 communities in 10 months.
How much money was generated between 2015 and 2016? What a party! From June 2015 to May 2016, Katsina State received N88billion from the Federal account. But if we sum up the first and second Buhari bailouts, the CBN Intervention funds and internally generated revenue, the state had over N123billion in that same year.
The 2018 budget estimates were presented on 13th November 2017 by the governor before the State’s House of Assembly.
Where is EFCC? Katsina State received from the Federation account the sum of N49,771,405,187.34 (excluding monies from the 34 Local governments) with an opening account balance of N18,568,364,325.40 as at 1st January 2017. Also, the state had the sum N68,339,769,572.74 in its accounts as at 31st October 2017. According to the state government, a total sum N68,227,837,628.42 was spent on recurrent and capital expenditure as at 31st October 2017, leaving the sum of N111,931,884.32. What a negative Change!
Between a failed quantitative reasoning and deceit: From the Governor’s “budget of stabilization”, he said the total of N44,160,214,115.62 was spent under capital expenditure, only N24,478,083,229.76 representing a little over 50% of the capital provision or about 34.7% of the total budget was spent on “critical sectors of the economy”, in order to revive the state’s comatose economy according to him.
He also said the state government spent the sum of N3, 141,861,441.39 on various capital projects under the education sector, between 1st January and 31st October this year. Out of this amount N1,380,824,777.43 was spent on the construction of One New Day Junior Secondary School and the “Rehabilitation and upgrade” of six other secondary schools.
According to the governor, N122,636,275.80 was spent for the construction of Government Junior Day Secondary School Kasanki in Mashi L.G.A but the sum of N312,737,293.39 was only able to get to 89% completion of the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Kasanki School.
The sum of N301,770,986.78 was spent to rehabilitate and upgrade GScSS Kankara, while N190,113,726.56, N193,356,926.99 and N197,486, 921.73 was spent to rehabilitate and upgrade GGSS Kaikai, GGSS Unity Jibia and GSSS Dutsinma respectively.
Another N879,931,729.14 was spent for the same “Rehabilitation and upgrade” of seven more secondary schools which include GDSS ‘Yar Laraba, Malumfashi (N239,662,763.45), GSS Unity Malumfashi (N178,994,416.13), GGScSS Malumfashi (N85,864,897.00), GGSS Malumfashi (N60,000,000.00), GGSS Arabic Dutsinma (N166,466,227.34), and “additional facilities” at Family Support Nursery/Primary Secondary School Daura (N116,878,013.93).
The Governor also said the state government released to the state Universal Basic Education Board the sum of N2,084, 054,054.04 for the “implementation of its activities” that included 13,000 units of 98 blocks of 196 classrooms” and “the renovation of 170 blocks of 373 classrooms”, 18 nrs offices, 18nr stores and 24 blocks of Four V.I.P toilets. Adding up the 196 new classrooms and the “renovated” 373, we have the total of 569 classrooms. In an analysis made by a group of A.P.C chieftains in the state, N2,636,203.86 per Four-wall classroom or N5,272, 407.72 per blocks of two classrooms for purchase of furniture. Are you kidding me?
Also, the sum of N666,324,590.62 was expended in the “production of customized assorted Instructional Materials distributed to primary schools across the state”, according to Mr Masari.
On this basis, Katsina State youths collectively say enough is enough! The people of Katsina State decides not to believe in false hopes anymore, the blame-game will no longer be entertained, exorbitant budgets are now realized in this administration and funds embezzlement will not be tolerated anymore!
Mr Masari’s political doctrine is making no impact to the society! Their Blame-game is just another way to deny us our entitlements as the indigents of the state. Our people are yearning to escape poverty, poor economy, bad infrastructure, and poor health care delivery which happens to be as a result of their weak, incompetent, greedy, selfish and poor governance. Surely, the current state government is completely insensitive! They don't care about the people whatsoever.
Mark you, I am not writing with the aim to offend anyone, so please excuse my research and findings, and perhaps the way I try to utilize every chance I have to surf the internet in search of the truth and current situation. Oops! I almost forgot that Mr. Masari recently called for strict regulation of social media saying that it does harm to the society. Maybe this is what he means, maybe not. But if broadcasting the truth is a problem, what about misappropriating our State funds?
Thanks to my conscience which led me to page 34 of the Friday 15th December DAILYTRUST NEWSPAPER! When will our “Mugabe” Go?
Their political mantra is “CHANGE”, but is this it?
Imaduddeen Kabir Yandaki writes from G.R.A, Katsina.
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