Recently, Chairman of the Zamfara State Transition Committee who was also the Immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Mal. Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad who served with former Governor Abdulaziz Yari for eight years, sparked off raging controversy over alleged high profile debt and liability left behind by the former Government of Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar.
The colossal debt and liability allegedly left behind by the Yari-led administrator, was purportedly to the tune of Two Hundred and Fifty One Billion, nine Hundred and Fifty One Million, Eight Hundred and Forty Nine Thousand, four Hundred and Eighty Two Naira, Fifty Kobo (N251,951,849,482.50), as liability for the new administration of Governor Bello Mutawalle.
It is reassuring that in spite of animosity between different people and administrations, this tragic allegations and assertions are been taken too far-reflecting on the clarity and convictions on the past administrations. The picture being painted about the debt of the state, which is not correct and is not setting values of promoting democratic ethics and good governance, is, to say the least, sad.
Whatever one’s view are, people should not dig in the face of hatred, political inclinations and darken the leading lights of the immediate past administrations-this, I must say, is overheating the polity and causing unnecessary distractions on the need to work together for our common good. There should be far written decisions and reports which ought to lift the spirits of the ordinary citizens of the state, but the current widespread cynicism is understandable given as that period of impunity and maladministration.
It is on record that the Yari administration has redefine and reengineered the future of the state. Indeed Yari administration is a watershed and good turning point in history of the state. Agreed, the challenges for the present Government is all too clear, the citizens are increasingly getting bored with insurgency and banditry which is taking a toll in the various sects of the economy of the state, indeed this is the time to walk the talk.
Here is not to support encourage impunity or fund mismanagement, but there is no any crime for a immediate administration to leave liabilities for his successor, in as much as the liabilities are planned, coordinated and incurred for human and infrastructural development of the state. It is unnecessary for members of the transition committee or any committee for that matter, to point accusing fingers to any Government or persons even before the deliberation of their reports by the Government.
In spite of the current security and economic challenges in the state, there is no doubt that hard times awaits the present Administration and it will take patience and determination to get along to provide the people with more dividends of Democracy. Government is a serious business that requires a lot of personal experience- personal and collective. It is pertinent to state here that we keep learning and implementing what has been acquired over the years. In this regard, the present State Government should take its time to study these reports to ascertain such claims in order not to go overboard and chase shadows instead of heating the ground running and make a mark in governance.
The Government should do everything possible to complete the ongoing projects despite the economic challenges, as doing this will lead to more peaceful and viable state. It is time for our political leaders and actors to uphold the interest of the state and shun parochial and primordial interests that will not be beneficial to the citizenry. Our leaders should serve as their brothers’ keepers by interacting with others to offer workable solutions rather than creating more problems in the state as nobody is an island of knowledge.
It is worthy to note that the security of lives and property is of importance to the people and the government should try to guarantee that, which will translate into economic growth and development.
Umar writes from Layin Sarkin Dilalai, Hayin Danmani, Kaduna.
