BY DAN ALKALI
Position of responsibilities especially as it affects governance is usually a thankless job, regardless of how much efforts you put in as a leader, sometimes at the expense of your comfort or life, towards meeting the goals and aspiration of the people you lead, some will still not appreciate your efforts as long as those efforts did not affect them directly and positively. Such indeed is the burden of being a leader in this part of the world. On the other hand however, there are some that see leadership position as something that is not transient, thus, they can go a whole hog to mismanaged, misappropriate and of course, bastardized the position.
Coming home, here in Nasarawa state we had people who sought for position of governor on many occasions before they finally realized their ambitions and crowded as governors. But immediately after assumption of office, they wittingly or unwittingly started pursuing policies and programmes that are not only detrimental but injurious to their second term bid, as mismanagement, misappropriation and bastardization of the very power they sought from people became an order of the day. Consumed by the power, they first started by rubbishing the structures that brought them to power and installed cronies who have no any electoral values into position of authority. The words of such cronies became sacrosanct such that one can only challenge them at his or her own peril.
Secondly, we also had an experience of governors in Nasarawa who not only turned themselves to become uncooperative and hostile to the electorates but also turned themselves into what a Hausa man would say “Makaryata, Mayaudara, Yan Baba kere” This feature are the symbol of their administrations.
For example, when late Aliyu Doma held sway as governor of Nasarawa state he did incalculable damage to him-self, such that by 2011 the damage he did become irredeemable thus, ended up becoming recruiting soldier for Umaru Tanko Al-makura, the opposition candidate that won the election.
Political observers in Nasarawa state then were quick to attribute the failure of Aliyu Doma in 2011, his inability to clinch the office of governor for the second term mainly to the above scenarios.
Governor Abdullahi Sule like late Aliyu Doma sought for position of governor of Nasarawa state on so many occasions, until 2019 when he eventually got the mandate of the electorates. But from the unfolding developments, there is the fear that the Aliyu Doma’s scenario will repeat itself. Perhaps from the surface and even beneath it, the reincarnation of scenario during Akwe’s time is looming large under Governor Abdullahi Sule. The palpable fair is that what befell Aliyu Akwe Doma is likely to befall Gov. Abdullahi Sule, if adequate measures are not taken.
Indeed, any discerning mind will concede that since Gov Sule mounted the leadership of the state, there have been subtle moves to dismantle the political structures that brought his government to power. There are intrigues and the maneuvers to do away with some, if not all actors that played critical and decisive roles towards the emergence of Engr Sule as governor of Nasarawa state. Wooing of some individuals from other political parties to APC in Nasarawa state is all part of this grand ploy. For example, inviting Idris Ghani from PDP to APC is aimed at rattling Hon Abubakar Hassan Na Laraba ditto: Dr Haruna Kigbu with Hon Abubakar Sarki Dahiru. What about the intrigues and maneuvers that brought Barr. Aliyu Muhammad Ubandoma as SSG? all these are clear pointers to the underground moves to not only dismantle the structures that brought Governor Sule to power but to Politically destabilize Nasarawa South.
Besides all these, there were also other clandestine moves aimed at disgracing/ ‘retiring’ some powerful figures in Nasarawa South from partisan politics. These powerful figures are those who are not in support of the way and manner the state is being administered by Governor Sule. What this means in effect is that, dissenting views will no longer be tolerated in the state.
Furthermore, there are also clandestine moves aimed at undermining the collective interest of Southern Senatorial district under Engr Sule’ administration; the district consider as the determining factor in the political calculus of Nasarawa state. Since assumption of office of Gov. Sule, there are systemic attempts to sideline the zone in terms of appointments and distributions of social amenities. It is glaringly clear, in the last one and half years, Gov Sule attention is focus more on the Western and Northern zone to the detriment of Southern zone. Examples abound of such glaring discriminations.
For example, out of 100 percent of appointments made by former governor Al-makura which Engr Sule inherited, virtually all those from the Western and Northern Zones retained their appointments under Engr Sule while more than 70 percent of those from the Southern Zone have not retained their positions and few that are retained are not holding juicy office. These were not wild allegations, they are verifiable.
Even the proposed University Teaching Hospital which Senator Tanko Al-makura is fighting tooth and nail to get the federal government to establish under Federal University Lafia, now there are moves to truncate the idea of Lafia. In place of Lafia they are trying to convince the Federal Government to upgrade Federal Medical Center Keffi into Teaching Hospital under state University Keffi. Even though, Governor Sule refuted this claim, but credible information suggests that the move to shift the Teaching Hospital to Keffi is on top gear despite the rebuttal. After all there is never fire without smoke.
There is no gain saying the fact that all the indices that brought down the government of Aliyu Doma have reared their heads already in the state under Governor Sule. The relationship between government and organized labour is not cordial; the relationship is that of cat and mouse. At his inaugural speech, Governor Sule promised to within 100 days settled all liabilities pertaining workers in the state, but up to the time of writing this, nothing has been done. Workers are still owed salaries and promotion arrears.
It should be noted that all what Governor Sule promised in his inaugural speech none has been achieved almost two years into his administration; it is only sound and fury so to speak. As things stand, all the ‘tall dreams’ by Governor Sule were increasingly becoming a mirage as they were no any concrete plan to actualize them. The talks about investors are only but a smokescreen employed to deceive the most gullible among us. It was indeed, In view of these that some political commentators posit that the story of Nasarawa state is a sad one, which only time can tell how exactly the scenario would play out between now and 2013, but the ominous sign is the likelihood of repetition of Aliyu Doma’s scenario.
Although Governor Sule in a media chat to mark his one year in office indicated that his is not bothered about second time, nonetheless, whether or not he bother about continuation in office for second term, the hard fact is: the road will certainly not going to be an easy one as being speculated.