By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi.
It has been observed that had the Bauchi State Government opportuned to get the bailout funds it proposed to the Federal Government, the much-talked about remaining one and two months’ salary arrears owed state and LG workers respectively in the state would have been nipped in the bud.
According to the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Council Chairman, Comrade Aminu Umar Danbaba, the state government initially sought for bailout funds of over N20 billion, but was opportune to get only N8.6 billion.
He recalled that in addition to the required funds gap, politicians who served under the immediate past administration in the state had during the salary arrears settlement dragged the government to court in Jos seeking for their severance benefits where the state account was blown off with about a billion naira.
Comrade Aminu Danbaba, who was speaking while receiving captains of Democratic Enlightenment Initiative, anon-governmental organization on awareness crusade to the area weekend, wondered why the opposition capitalizes on remaining salary arrears, owed civil servants as campaign gadget to blackmail the government.
The Tafawa Balewa Council Caretaker Chairman explained that 95% of those challenging the government on non-conclusion of salary arrears settlement are not civil servants but mercenaries of the opposition PDP at work to gain leverage ahead of Local Government and national elections.
Danbaba observed that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is banking on its evil and clandestine activities to wreck power come 2019 elections, after 16 years of despotic and neo-fascist rule which tendencies consumed lives of millions innocent Nigerians and subjected others to abject poverty and hunger, among others.
The chairman said that Tafawa Balewa despite its economic potentialities especially in Kardam and Tapshin village areas where solid minerals abounds in large quantities, also poses serious challenges to the oppositions who are bent on grasping the political soul of the ancient town.
Also speaking, a director with the Initiative, Abdulhamid Baba Sarki recalled that Tafawa Balewa was the ancestral home of Nigeria’s late prime-minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Golden voice of Africa who’s socio-economic and political contributions remained indelible in the annals of history.
Sarki said that the ancient town also produced eminent personalities, the likes of late deputy governor Adamu Tafawa Balewa, Ambassador Balarabe Tafawa, a one-time secretary to the state government – late Abubakar Umar and host of others whom, he said, shaped not only the political horizon of Tafawa Balewa and Bauchi state but Nigeria at large.
Alhaji Abdulhamid Sarki also recalled how the sum of N50, 000 in 1979 provided by the Sarkin Fadan Katagum Inuwa Dahiru footed the electioneering campaigns expenditure of second republic governor, Late Abubakar Tatari Ali whose developmental strides are still being felt by the people of Bauchi state and beyond.
Chairman of the Democratic Enlightenment Initiative (DEI), Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim had in an opening address described Governor Mohammed Abubakar as a detribalized Nigerian whose revolutionary APC administration’s cardinal objective is the security of lives and property of citizens.
