Yobe has been looted cut and dry

Posted by admin Headlines, State News, Yobe Thursday, October 27th, 2011

• Baba Gana
Photo: THE SUN PUBLISHING

Talking about grassroots politics in Yobe State, Zanna Baba Gana remains a major. The fearless and outspoken politician is a factor as far as political activities especially in Bursari local government area are concerned. Having served as local council secretary, councilor for five times, vice chairman of the area in 1996, chairman caretaker committee of the local government and the immediate past Executive Chairman of the area, his words cannot be given a cold-shoulder.

In this exclusive, Honourable Gana said the state has for 17 years been looted of her riches cut and dry because of the laisser-faire attitude of previous chief executives. He asserted that 80 per cent of the money that accrued to the state was never used for the development of the state, he says, “It went into private pockets”. The state according to him just existed without an administration hence public officers were stealing without anyone putting them on check. According to him, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam is an exception: “He is a big blessing to the state, his performance is exposing the misrule of the past”, he said.

Looting has been the only activity in Yobe
Honourable Gana said looting of the riches of the state has been the main activity of public officers and top government officials since the state was created on August 27, 1991. He said looting was institutionalized until the assumption of Senator Mamman Ali/Ibrahim Gaidam Administration in 2007. “We’ve never had it so well in Yobe State”’ he said. He mentioned that they lacked conscience and thus siphoned public money in a manner that nothing would be left to address issues of poverty and basic needs hence the majority of the people were suffering while few were smiling. He added that few schools were in existence with poor or no facilities; pupils of primary schools and students of post secondary schools were receiving lessons on bare floors and some under trees, he pointed. This he said was the scenario in Bursari local government area.

He said health facilities in the state were constrained due to lack of government commitment, forcing many patients with critical ailment to seek for treatment outside the state. He added that previous regimes paid only lip service with nothing concrete on the ground to show until 2007 which marked a new dawn for the state. “Each time we were traveling and get to places like Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarrawa among some others states and see good road network, good and beautiful houses, hospitals and good spots, we felt very bitter. But thank God that today under this regime, roads are being constructed, good houses are being built, standard hospitals for the first time are being constructed in Damaturu, the state capital and others across the state are being renovated, equipped with facilities and stock with drugs monthly. Governor Gaidam has indeed given us hope that we still have good leaders”, he said.

Gana complained that more than 90 per cent of the people of the state were downtrodden and illiterates and for this reason, greedy leaders in the past capitalized on this to misappropriate funds and also embezzled the money. “As I am talking to you now, many of them have finished the money and have all gone broke, you see!” He exclaimed.
Facilities that Yobe needs now.

“It was unfortunate that Governor Ibrahim Gaidam is just laying the foundation for our state now. This is what previous regimes would have done over 17 years ago, but they never did. What were they doing all these years”, he queried.
Gana said the government would have been spending the money to further boost the state economy towards her industrialization at this particular time. “But because all these are not in place, Governor Gaidam is just doing that now”, he argued.

While commending the governor for his doggedness towards the genuine development of the state, he pointed out that the state capital is presently in dire need of a standard market for a more organized business setting. He encouraged the governor to seek for alternative sources of power that would encourage the growth of business outfits in the state.
Advice to Governor Gaidam Honourable Zanna said many greedy politicians have always been in the habit of misleading their governors even those of them with genuine intention.

For this reason, he advised the governor to introduce people’s forum when the governor could be interacting with the people for instance on quarterly basis for him to get to know the true situation of things on ground. He argued that he witnessed on several occasions where issues would be brought to the knowledge of the governor and promptly, he usually addresses them. He said the forum would afford the governor to be in the picture of the successes and shortcomings of his government that could need some adjustment.

Under the current leadership, he said the people are becoming more and more aware politically, and that the credit must be given to Governor Gaidam.

-Sunwp_posts