Senator Ali Wakil who represents Bauchi-South in the National Assembly recently revealed to select journalists in Bauchi why they are at logger heads with the state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar. He also answered questions on sundry national issues. NAJIB SANI was there.
Recently, Governor Mohammed Abubakar alleged that National Assembly members from Bauchi state are fighting him because he turned down their request to purchase exotic cars and houses for them, how true is this?
Blackmail
It’s very unfortunate and very scandalous that such statement is coming from the chief executive that is expected to be circumstantial than all of us because whatever he says can trigger a chain of reaction. Unfortunately I have said it before, if the sender of the message is deranged, the recipient of the message are in control of their senses, where has it ever happened in the state where governors purchase houses for the legislatures. We learnt that during the first and second tenure of former Governor Adamu Muazu, in line with his inclusiveness, he had bought certain vehicles for the legislature; we also learnt that during the first term of Isa Yuguda, he had bought vehicles for the legislature but we have not even heard where they bought houses. I have said it, that on my own that I have never discuss any issue of any exotic with the Governor of Bauchi state, I have never either alone or in consultation with the caucus requested for any house from the governor of Bauchi state, that is his way of blackmailing us, it’s very unfortunate.
Our problem
Our problem with the governor hinges on our demand for good governance, whether we like or we don’t like it, it’s not those of us alone from the National Assembly that are pelting the governor, if you go through the messages, out of the 36 state governors, how many of these governors are be pelted around, we all came on a popular trend, then certainly what we are saying is that we should be accountable, let the resources of Bauchi state be accountable , let it be used for the wellbeing of the people of Bauchi state. I was the one that printed the quantum sum of money that Isa Yuguda in eight years was receiving from the federation account both in the state and local government. I was the one that gave it to Barrister MA Abubakar when we were campaigning, we all promised that if by the grace of God we were elected, we are going to ensure that we have a democratic local government system in place and that we are going to channel all local government directly to the local government but unfortunately the governor has relegated on that, he constituted a caretaker without our consultation, if all of us are stakeholders, this caretaker must be constituted in consultation with us, we are the critical stakeholders.
No honour
Secondly, our quarrel with him is that, his words are not his honour, I was one of those that championed his nomination and I work and God granted our request. When we were campaigning, there are certain promises we made to our party members immediately we got the nomination, there was a little bit of gambling, when I accosted him, he says, this are political promises, because of my moral and religious upbringing, I rejected it. Thirdly, we promised that we will not temper with the district heads created and the armlet created by the administration of Isa Yuguda, suddenly, as of today, these number of people have been chased out, when we complained, he said it was the opposition in the Assembly that sponsored the bill, he even said that he did not sign it.
How can
Assembly of about 31 members, with 29 of them coming from the ruling party have a bill sponsored by the opposition and you as a governor from a ruling party you accented to it, we are daily alienated the fellowship of the party, for example from Tafawa Balewa Local Government where I came from, 70 of these village heads are affected, you are deviating from the promises of the party, traditional and religious leaders are very vital in the politics of Bauchi state, they are the one on the pulpit that can preach this change and ensure that this change came to pass and when some of them decides to call you to order, you find some chalantants to go and degrade them, where are we going? The state is purely an agrarian and civil service state, the artisans, the traders, the economist hinge on this.
N4 million loan
When we were campaigning we agreed that we are going to settle all emoluments, salaries, allowances and pensions and we had the opportunity, the federal government was gracious, they gave us bail out, he took loan of N4m but today there is unending verification, as of October, all the local governments in the state are being owe three months’ salary and they are going on with this verification, when are we going to end this verification? So the traders, workers, farmers, artisans, he has abandon them, who are going to vote for us?
The Dogara Factor
He has spoken so many times at different places why he is having a problem with the members of the National Assembly, first he said that because he refused to allow us to appoint commissioners, secondly, he said it’s because he refuse us to nominate the caretaker, at a different fora again, he said it was because he didn’t stand by the Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara, that is why we are quarreling with him, again he said it’s because some of us are having gubernatorial ambition, then now he has come with antics of issue of exotic cars. He has even gone beyond, the limit of reasons to incite the citizens as chief executive of the state against the members of the National Assembly. At the flag of road construction recently at Azare, he asked citizens of Bauchi state that they should ask us to come and show what we have brought to the state, he asked them to ask us where are we spending the bogus money they are given us, it is very sad, I have respect for the office he occupies, I have respect for his age because he is older than me but he is unbecoming of somebody of his position. You don’t rely on rumors on the fact you don’t know, the salary of the National Assembly can be gotten from the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, but sadly, my salary is not more than N774,000. If you go on social media, it is his cohort that are saying let Buhari ask us to account for N38m that we are being given as monthly salary as Senators and N28m for the members if House of Representatives.
Lies
These are lies, these are cheap blackmail. Even if you use a common sense, the 2016 budget of ational Assembly is N115b, if you multiply N38m by 109 senators by 12 calendar months, you are getting close to N52b, if you multiply N28m by 360 members of House of Representatives by 12 calendar, you are getting over N70b so if you add N52b plus N70b, it amount to N132b, you can see even the deficit in the budget, these are only the members of the National Assembly, then how do you pay for the recurrent expenditure of the National Assembly itself, how do you pay their salary, where do you get that money from? Secondly we have the National Assembly Service Commission, that has its own beuracracy, they are the one that are the employees of our aids, each senator has five aids, each house member has five aids, then multiply 5 by 360 and 5 by 109.
We have the Nigeria Institute of Legislative Studies, they have their own capital project and recurrent expenditure and their own salaries, we have the Public Complains Commission, they are taken everything under the National Assembly, so if you look at it, the budget is N115b, there have not been releases, and you are saying that the legislatures are taken this and that, these are cheap blackmail, unbecoming of somebody that occupies an exalted office. As a governor, as a lawyer, I am very disgusted with his behavior, he should know that the constitutional role of legislatures is to ensure that the law of Nigeria state are strengthen, with a view to ensure that there are good governance, to ensure the security and wellbeing of the people and if he doesn’t know the money of the MDGs, are they not coming from the coffers of the federal government, the N428m grant given to him for the health projects, are they not coming from the coffers of the Federal Government, the UBEB counter fund funding are they not coming from the federal government ? Are we not the one that is appropriating them, those are the questions I want ask him?
Recently, there are speculations that the Governor earmarks projects that sidelines the people of your constituency, what is your take on this?
I will not descend to the level of the governor, if I speak on this issue, it’s a very cheap blackmail, Kirfi, Alkaleri and Ganjuwa, and some other constituencies there is nothing there, so I will buy to that.
Are you speaking for yourself or on behalf of the National Assembly members from Bauchi?
You are speaking to me as Mallam Ali Wakili, you are not speaking to me as a member of Bauchi caucus, but whatever I say in their Defence I am speaking on their behalf, I have said it that
neither I or any one of them have requested for such kind of things in our various meeting. I want to challenge the governor to come out with letter that we presented to him which contains the 16 issues we discuss with him, if the issues of vehicles and houses are there, we gave him a written document, even what we gave the President and the party were in written form, so he should provide it so that we can crosscheck and see if any personal issues have been brought, there must be decency even when we are playing politics.
What is your thought on President Buhari’s fight against corruption?
Since when President Buhari was campaigning, one of his cardinal principles was to do away with corruption, and you have seen his determination to do away with corruption, you have seen the various report comming out of the security fund, the campaign funds among others. You have also seen people that seems to be above the law are being question, he is determine to tackle corrupt practices, and you have to determine it through transparency and accountability that is if you have to do away with it on the permanent basis, i think the President fight against corruption is very commendable.
What is reaction on the withdrawal of forgery charges against the senate President and his Deputy?
That is the rule of law, it is in their discretion to say there are pressing charges, and it was also the discretion of the court to arbitrary, if out of their own wisdom they discover that something is wrong somewhere so be it.
Secondly, our quarrel with him is that, his words are not his bond, I was one of those that championed his nomination and I worked and God granted our request
