By Sule ALIYU, Bauchi
Ex Commissioner of Information to the immediate past administration of Isa Yuguda of Bauchi state, Alhaji Salisu Ahmad Barau has accused Governor Mohammed Abubakar of trying to cover his deficiencies by deviating people’s attention from his non performance in 15 months of his administration.
It would be recalled that Governor Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar has accused the administration of his predecessor, Alhaji Isah Yuguda, of withdrawing N1bn from one of the state’s accounts in one day, in a press briefing in Abuja alleging that the N1bn was withdrawn from one of the state government’s accounts with multiple N10m cheques.
According to him, the ecological funds Governor Abubakar is talking about some people already petitioned Yuguda to ICPC on same issue, which the ICPC waded in and find Yuguda blameless and “I am sure the present Governor is aware of that, I don’t know why he is becoming so particular about the matter now.”
He said ‘if withdrawal of fund is against the ethics and principles or rules and regulations governing withdrawal of funds, Banks are there to take care of the issue not the governor.
Salisu Barau stressed that the concern of the present administration should be whether the money in question was judiciously used or not saying “if you check and find out that the money is used judiciously why crying Wolf.”
“I was a serving Commissioner during Yuguda’s administration the N2 billion ecological funds disbursed was meant for the ecological problems facing the state in 2013 -2014 floods and erosion that ravaged some communities in Darazo and Alkaleri, there was also the issue of environmental degradation, collection and clearance of refuse in the state especially in the Northern parts of the state particularly those ravaged by floods drainages were built across the state to take care of the ecological problems, in fact the communities involved will speak or comment better on that”, he said.
Barau said Abubakar’s claim was part of a smear campaign against the personality of Mallam Isa Yuguda and his administration.
He said, “This has become the strategy of the present administration, it wants to divert attention from its failings. Since it has set up a committee to probe, let them probe. We will advise them to avoid a witch-hunt.
“It is clear that a script has been prepared to ensure that the outcome of this probe indicts the Yuguda administration”, he added.
The former Commissioner asked the present Governor to stop crying Wolf by looking for sympathy from people saying he should rather focus and maintain the solid foundation put on ground in most facets of the economy by Isa Yuguda administration.
L-R: Secretary to Kwara State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and former Commissioner for Social Development, Kwara State, Alhaji Lanre Daibu, during a courtesy visit by the Royal Father to Government House, Ilorin