By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State has challenged the newly created Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCAC) in the state to immediately commence investigation and expeditiously prosecute the credible corruption allegations on the N30 billion loan from United Bank for Africa (UBA) for projects execution by the state government.
The APC also questioned the rationale behind the N3.6 billion vehicles supply contract Governor Bala Mohammed gave to himself, his family and friends through Adda Nig. Ltd; the recent sales of Bauchi State assets and companies to his family and friends; and the over N1.2 billion monthly security vote mismanagement.
The opposition party in Bauchi in a press statement tagged, “Bauchi State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCAC): ‘PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF”, also asked the PDP-led government explained the expenditure on the N8 billion Federal Government refunded funds for road construction;
APC similarly queried the N11 billion the PDP government inherited in the FCMB Account belonging to the state, details explanation on N6.2 billion renovation of Government House, as well as the contract for outsourcing of salary payment to a consultant, a company alleged to be his son’s or his proxies, thereby fleecing Bauchi state of billions of naira monthly.
Also in the query is the demand for explanation on the sale of students’ hostel by the Governor’s wife to the Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere while she continues to collect rent after sale from students; and the over N8 billion Covid-19 intervention fund;
Malam Adamu Jallah also demanded for the APC explanation on the N5 billion contract for the renovation of (20) LGAs Secretariats, and the N1.35 billion the governor used to buy goats for the state government’s economic empowerment programme
The APC said that failure to investigate and prosecute these allegations will only re enforce its reasonable suspicion that the anti-graft agency is created to fight the governor’s personal battles, witch-hunt political opponents and protect himself from the EFCC, ICPC and other federal agencies fighting corruption.
Jallah said that while the APC has fight against corruption as a cardinal objective enshrined in its Constitution and would have otherwise unreservedly welcome the anti-corruption agency, it strongly suspects the motive for the creation of the PCAC by the governor at this point in time.
“Given the governor’s antecedents, intolerance to opposition and desperation to hang on to power by all means, we believe he will most likely use the agency to witch hunt, intimidate and oppress public servants (past and present), PDP members who are leaving him for the APC, and everyone he views as a threat to his doomed re-election quest and his well-known appetite for corruption”.
The APC spokesperson recalled that right from the outset, the governor has shown his true colour as a legalistic autocrat and succeeded in undermining the State House of Assembly when he enabled 11 out of 31 members to “elect” the speaker.
According to him, the governor’s aim was to neutralize the second arm of government constitutionally created to check and oversight his actions and hold him to account, as he has already weakened the chain of constitutional control on his executive powers, hence it’s doubtful whether PCAC has followed the due process of law.
Jallah alleged that the governor has waged a sustained war on the state bureaucracy in order to intimidate, silence and cowered the State Civil Service to passive submission so as to rule Bauchi state like a corrupt amoral king without due regard for due process, rule of law or democratic norms.
APC also noted that with the passage of the anti-graft agency law, the governor is now the investigator, prosecutor and judge in Bauchi state, observing that, “Nothing can be more dangerous than this for the State and the good people of Bauchi”.
The opposition party summed it thus, “More importantly, Governor Bala is trying to oust the jurisdiction and/or Impede the EFCC and ICPC to prosecute corruption allegations against him or his family and friends”.
Malam Adamu Ali Jallah expressed optimism that APC will vote out the corrupt, nepotistic and neo-patrimonial government of Senator Bala Mohammed and replace it with the party’s governorship flagbearer Air Marshal Sadique (rtd) in the forthcoming elections for the good of Bauchi State.
