By UMAR IBRAHIM

On Saturday 25th February 2023, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, former two-term governor of Kebbi State will reap the results of what he sowed so far in his political career as the Kebbi Central Senatorial District electorate will troop out to exercise their mandate.

In fact, the harvest has been manifesting in manifolds as was his misrule. His tenure as Governor between 1999 and 2007 was characterised by high-handedness and total negation of democracy. In eight years, he sacked three party chairmen – Alhaji Malami Abdul-Kadir was removed as chairman of the ANPP and replaced by Alhaji Labaran Maikano who was soon after removed in favour of Alhaji Abdullahi Lamba.

In the course of his tenure as Governor, Minister and now Senator, Aliero has humiliated and fallen-out with virtually all the respected leaders of Kebbi State. The list includes Alhaji Abubakar Malam, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Tafida Kabi, Alhaji Samaila Sambawa, Hon. Buhari Bala, General Sarkin Yaki Bello, Barrister Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and Prof. Idris Kaoje. Others are General Ishaya Bamaiyi, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Barrister Abubakar Malami, former Governor Saidu Nasamu Dakingari and incumbent Governor Atiku Bagudu.Worse still, his woeful work as governor convinced him that he needed to become an obstacle to his successor in office – Alhaji Sa’idu Nasamu Dakingari. He struggled tooth-and-nail to distract the administration and even vowed in vain to prevent its re-election.

When the incumbent Atiku Bagudu administration came on board, Aliero connived with cronies and collected a whopping N14 billion worth of contracts using various companies. To date, none of the projects was completed not to talk of commissioned.Today, Senator Aliero’s self-centred style of politics has left Kebbi State helpless and hopeless.

 For instance, more than two years after the abduction of some students of the Federal Government College Yauri, Aliero has demonstrated minimum concern over the pathetic plight of the citizens. Instead, he is exploiting his membership of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to corner juicy contracts worth billions of Naira from the Federal Government.

Since leaving office, Aliero’s proxies, political partners and children have been floating all manner of companies collecting contracts not only from the Federal Government but also the governments of Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto States. None of the works were concluded and many were even cancelled. His prominent cohorts in these ventures include Alhaji Abba Aliero and Alhaji Kabiru Kamba. 

Their activities are complemented by Aliero’s political thugs especially Alhaji Sani Dododo and Alhaji Bunu Jega. These individuals who started out as critics and traducers of the former Governor are now full-time attack-dogs used in blackmailing power-brokers and bringing down those who refuse to play his bidding.The electorates will never forget the allegations that he also serially cornered and diverted at least three gigantic constituency projects worth more than one billion Naira.Senator Aliero was alleged to have used his clout to corner the direly needed developments meant for the District to his farm and that of his crony.

According to the list of approved Constituency Projects in the 2017 Appropriation Act executed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the projects include the construction of Feeder Road which was awarded to Aliero’s Great Northern International Company (GNIC) at Gante for evacuation of agricultural products from farmlands to towns and cities in Kebbi Central Senatorial District worth #200,000,000.

Another project cornered by Senator Aliero was the supply and installation of Central Pivot Irrigation Pumps with sprinklers also in Gante village of Kebbi Central Senatorial District worth #264,000,000.Similarly, the contract for the supply of Massey Ferguson tractors meant for farmers in Kebbi Central Senatorial District worth #200,000,000 and all the tractors delivered to his Labana Farms.

The anger of people in Aliero’s Senatorial District is that Gante village is under Lafagu/Gante ward of Kaoje District in Bagudu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.Aliero’s Labana Farm at Gante is under Kebbi North Senatorial District of Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, the incumbent Senate Majority Leader.

Their anger is exacerbated by the fact that during Aliero’s first term as Senator, the #2 billion Naira Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention under the Anchor Borrowers Programme was also cornered for the exclusive development of his Labana Farms.

One of Aliero’s key fronts is Alhaji Kabiru Kamba from Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, the proprietor of KK Kamba & Sons Nigeria Limited and K.M. Kamba Ventures Nigeria Limited.These two companies have been awarded billions of Naira worth of contracts by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) and the Police Trust Fund (PTF) respectively over the past years with none executed even though fully paid for.

The ‘juicy’ jobs include the procurement of operational solar energy equipment to service several communities in some states of the country, the Federal Government’s Mass Housing Scheme and the construction of police barracks in disparate locations in the country’s six geopolitical zones.

Investigations revealed that not only were the contracts not executed but they were re-awarded and paid for with the active collaboration of two ex Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Alhaji Babangida Hussaini as well as his predecessor Alhaji Bukar Alhaji.Senator Aliero’s other proxies in these schemes are his brother, Alhaji Abba Aliero and his son, Mustapha Aliero.

 Between them, they registered and run several bogus companies such as Galadi Global Resources, Net Galaxy Max, M.M. Saleh and Sons Nigeria Ltd, Waizah Global Resources Ltd and Eva Top Trading Company Ltd.On his part, Kamba also uses a variety of other firms such as Dunkulu Global Ventures, Maidaji Global Resources, Makharaj Nigeria Ltd, Clarion Prime Associates Ltd., Wastech Engineering, GT Energy Ltd, Viaeny Global Investment Ltd, Yakubeens Nigeria Ltd and Brading Global Concept Nigeria Ltd.Even after the EFCC initiated investigations into the dozens of non-performing contracts, only a few of the solar power projects were shoddily completed. 

In addition to the corruption inherent in the contract awards influenced by Senator Aliero who is chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, the companies completely lack the capacity and competences to carry out the works assigned.

It is believed that Senator Aliero successfully schemed the fraud by working with the Directors of Procurement and Finance who are both Indigenes of Kebbi State.Indications are that these sordid revelations maybe just a tip of the iceberg and concerned citizens of our dear country Nigeria are worried that the investigations into the shenanigans may be scuttled.

Already, only Kabiru Kamba is in EFCC custody while Abba and Mustapha Aliero remain at large, causing apprehension across the state and nation at large. It is widely feared that they could compromise the cases and escape justice by sharing the enormous earnings accrued from the corrupt practices.

The questions on the minds of everybody in the Kebbi Central Senatorial District then was: how much will be enough to satisfy the Senator and his callous cohorts and when will the dividends of democracy begin to trickle down to the people for whom the projects were meant and who really need them?

There’s palpable relief that in just days, the hapless electorate are poised to show Senator Muhammad Aliero the way out and unless he makes restitution, their next move may be to legally confiscate what rightly belongs to them.

So, Aliero’s dubious democratic career seems to be coming to a disgraceful end. Since its inception, he has been switching from one party to the other. For example, he re-decamped to PDP 2007 after spending about a year in CPC in early 2012. 

He later moved from PDP to APC in 2014 to PDP 2022. He and some of his close associates since 1999, like Sani Zauro, who was also former State Chairman of defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Board of Trustees (BoT) in Kebbi State also quit PDP for APC.It is not surprising that Aliero and his allies should suddenly become persona non-grata among the parties and electorate. After all, it is said that the tree of lies only produces leaves. It does not bear fruits.

Umar Ibrahim wrote from Bunza Local Government Area, Kebbi State.

As the 2023 General Elections approaches, the flag bearer of the National Rescue Movement ( NRM) for Kaduna North Federal Constuency , Hon Ibrahim Mohammed Aminu has assured his constituents that he would readily deploy all available resources both material and human in tackling the the twin problems of unemployment and insecurity bedevilling his state and his Constuency in general 

Hon. Aminu disclosed this in a townhall meeting in Kawo Kaduna during an interactive session with critical stakeholders on Tuesday . 

The astute politician added that  part of his plan for his Constuency includes a broad range of entrepreneurial skills training for over 20000 youths – men and women inclusive .

“After the training which would last for about a week, we shall then get corporate organisations, educational and research institutions to fund our trainees .

“The trainees would be given startup funds and packs, they shall be monitored while their products and services would be patronised by government and major corporate organisations . 

He also revealed that plans are also afoot to make sure that every prospective pupil and students get education up to the tertiary level .

“In order to reduce the rampart cases of insecurity, armed robbery and theft, we have a plan to ensure that all prospective pupils and students get education up to the university level .

We shall also tap into the internet and social media sector to make sure  members of Constuency gets socially integrated with the rest of the world , he added 

The flag bearer for the NRM also expressed confidence with the electoral process saying that both the Federal Government and Independent National Electoral Commission, ( INEC) are poised to conduct a free and fair election 

House of Representative Candidate for African Democratic Congress Party ADC, Chikun and Kajuru Federal Constituency Hawwa Abdullahi Gambo says fresh crop of politicians must be voted into power for Nigeria Economic and political Systems to function effectively and to compete favorably in linr with global practices.

Honorable Hawwa Abdullahi Gambo who stated this while on a tour of all the wards in Chikun Local Government Area of the state described herself as a new comer into politics and was out to change the political narratives and bring lasting peace and development to the area.

The ADC candidate argued that all the other faces vying for the seat have been very active in the polity in the past years and have always been a part of the problem..

She continued that she is vying for this seat because she knew the problem and can provide the solution.

Honorable Hawwa Abdullahi contended that the overwhelming acceptance and support she continued to get from the electorate has given her hope and confidence of winning the election by next Saturday.
According to her she embarked on the rally because the people need to know who they are voting for and she also needs to visit every community for face to face interaction.

“I specifically wanted the people to feel the connection with us, to understand that we are not here for jokes or for play…we really want to connect with them because we want to provide solutions to the problems affecting all of us”

Honorable Hawwa promised to priorotized security of the constituency and ensure the to resettlement of those that are in Internally Displaced IDPs camps

Another area of focus according to her is Women and Youth Empowerment with skills, businesses and educational opportunities.
The candidate also spoke on inclusion where she said People with disabilities are capable of doing everything you and I are capable of doing. The only problem is that the society fails to include them in some certain ways.
“For example a cripple cannot enter a tall building without an escalator that would take them up and you know most of our tall buildings have no escalators A cripple that is poor cannot afford a wheelchair and they need a wheelchair to move around.”

She therefore appeared on the voters to come out in their numbers and exercise their franchise by voting her and other candidates that will change Nigeria to a better country.

Religious leaders across kaduna state and representatives of traditional rulers especially from non indigenes residing in Kaduna have unanimously agreed to support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party ( PRP) Kola Abiola and his running mate Haro Haruna Zego in the run up to the Saturday Presidential elections .

The event, which took place at the Bajju Township Hall in Television Village, Kaduna saw huge turn out of religious leaders .

Speaking during the interactive meeting , Rev. Elijah Abubakar Prince, Vice Chairman Pastors For Good Governance, said that religious leaders being the custodians of the people’s mandate, clerics are looking for someone that has the capacity to deliver good governance, some that can bring level of comfortability and to stabilise the country economically .

“I can tell you that after listening to the running mate of the Presidential candidate of PRP, Haro Zego , it is very clear that he and his principal,Kola Abiola have the capacity to institute good governance .

The Rev went on to add,” If the candidates of the emerged as President and Vice President respectively next Saturday, then the country is on the path to glory .

The leaders of Idoma and Igala communities in Kaduna also lent their voices to the endorsement .

John Ameh, leader of the community while pledging the support of the Idomas for the PRP urged Aziz to abolish certain policies that discriminated against non indigenes in the state.

“I wish to assure you that we shall come out massively to vote your party this Saturday, but when you get there, please ensure that policies that prevents non indigenes from enjoying benefits which others enjoyed are abolished, he added

Speaking, the Vice Presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Zego said that the party is representing all the sections of the country, both the youths and the old .

He also pledged to looking into all forms of discriminations against non indigenes with the aim of abolishing them.

He further said , “Today, I represent the youths, today, I represent the Muslims, I represent the Christians , I represent the North as well as the South .

“I am a Northern Minority while my Principal, Kola Abiola is a Muslim from Yoruba land which means he is also a minority from the South.Our party would definitely work hard to eradicate all forms discrimination against citizens and sure Nigeria is a better place for all

The PRP Vice Presidential candidate further avered that welfare of youths, women and the elderly would take prominence when the party assume power .

Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are currently mounting intense pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to settle the cases over Naira redesign policy out of the Supreme Court, it has been learnt.

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, gave this indication in a statement in Abuja.

Frank revealed that the AGF has allegedly acceded to the request of the APC and its governors to settle the case out of court.

He said the meeting between the leadership of the APC and its governors with Malami was aimed at pressurizing the President and Malami to agree for the out of court settlement request.

He said the Governors and the leadership of the APC have succeeded in blackmailing both the President and Malami to consider the reintroduction of the N1,000 and N500 notes before the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

He insisted that the governors and the leadership of the APC are not working to protect the interest of Nigerians but to be able to deploy their looted funds to compromise the elections through massive vote buying.

He urged Buhari to be mindful of his promise to bequeath free, fair and credible elections to Nigerians as his parting legacy, saying any attempt to yield to the antics of the governors and APC’s national leadership would defeat that noble goal.

He further urged Malami to be resolute and to stand by the people by not succumbing to the overwhelming pressure of the governors now calling for out of court settlement.

He said the APC and its governors have become increasingly desperate to reverse the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in order to fraudulently swing the results of the presidential election in favour of their unpopular candidate who cannot win if the elections are free, fair and credible and devoid of monetary inducement of voters.

He called on Nigerians to know that if Malami and the Governors withdraw their suits at the Supreme Court tomorrow (Wednesday) to settle out of court, then they should not expect the elections to be credible, free and fair.

He said: “Buhari must keep to his words by not bowing to the unholy pressure of APC’s Governors to settle out of court and to have N1,000 and N500 notes reintroduced.

“APC governors don’t have the interest of Nigerians at heart. We have seen how they have serially blackmailed the President to do their bidding in recent past.

“Now they are trying to blackmail the AGF to withdraw his suit challenging their own suit for an out of court settlement during the sitting of the apex court tomorrow.”

According to Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, part of the tactics of the Governors have been to consistently drum into the ears of Nigerians that Buhari has so far failed in administering Nigeria.

He said they have also told Buhari and the AGF that the Naira redesign policy and attendant scarcity of new notes would lead to the defeat of the APC during the general elections.

He said: “The APC Governors have told Buhari and Malami that the Party cannot win with the Naira redesign policy in place.

“So they have continued to blackmail them. They know their presidential candidate is unpopular and cannot win the forthcoming election if one-man-one-vote prevails.

“Buhari and Malami should know that the forthcoming election is not all about APC and its governors alone.

“Rather, it’s for the generality of Nigerians who desperately need succour from their present hardship through a new and purposeful leadership in the country.”

He insisted that if there is any need to reconsider the reintroduction of the old N1,000 and N500 notes, it should wait till after the elections.

“Nigerians should know that we have only three days to go. Let us bear the pains for the next three days.

“Otherwise, the elections would be compromised through massive vote buying by the APC and its governors and the present order of cluelessness and hardship would continue,” he said.

By: Mada Ibrahim, Kaduna 

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba has expressed grief over the demise of AIG Lawan Tanko Jimeta.

The IGP described the deceased as a great poet and philosopher, a passionate officer and peace lover. 

IGP Baba condoled the family and associates of the deceased in a statement signed and issued by the spokesperson of the police force, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Sunday.

“He hereby condoles with the immediate family, relatives, fellow coursemates, and friends of the deceased AIG who passed away in active service of his fatherland and prays earnestly for the repose of his soul,” the statement read.

Late AIG Jimeta died today after a brief illness in the morning at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State. 

“AIG Jimeta, who hailed from Jimeta in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, served in various administrative, investigative, training, and operational capacities during his almost 34 years stint in the policing career. 

“He was a one-time Director of Peacekeeping, Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Mobile Force, Edo and Bauchi State Commands, Commandant Police Academy, and was until his death the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5 Benin, Edo State. 

“The late AIG enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on 3rd March 1990 and was a dedicated officer with a great passion for training and mentorship in the field of security intelligence and peace support operations. 

“A philosopher and poet per excellence, he has a collection of poems tagged “Song of the Peacekeeper” to his credit, and has featured on every edition of the Police ‘New Dawn Magazine’ as a guest poet.

“The Inspector-General of Police acknowledges his ingenuity and commitment to duty”, the statement reads.