A legal practitioner, Mr Nasiru Aliyu Dan Tsoho, the Commissioner of Lands, Housing, Survey, and Town Planning in Sokoto State, speaks to journalists on the assets and liabilities inherited by the present government from the preceding state administration, challenges and governance generally. KUNLE ODEREMI brings the excerpts:
TO what extent has the governor delivered on his campaign promises?
The governor is my very good friend; we attended the same secondary school, so without boasting, I can say that I know him fairly well because we have been together from the beginning. I can, to a large extent, predict him, but as governor, he has pleasantly surprised me and many others who initially thought the governor would perform averagely. And that would have been fantastic, considering that Aminu Tambuwal was a failure. The governor has superseded expectations and is still determined to surprise cynics who think his performance is a flash in the pan. Governor Ahmad would continue to daze them because of the mentality that he has brought to the assignment. He wants to repay the people who have stood by him with performance. And for him, his promise is like an oath. He has a fantastic memory and this has helped him in recollecting the promises that he made. Once he remembers, expect an immediate action. There is another critical road project that I forgot to mention – the Original Symbol road network. During the rainy season, the road is a nightmare for vehicles delivering fresh fruits like pineapple, cucumber, oranges, etc. When it rains, there is no way a trailer can use the road. His Excellency made a promise that if elected, he would fix the road within his first 100 days in office and being a man who keeps to his words, he over-delivered it to the delight of the people.
All the seven roads within that axis have been reconstructed and motorists are enjoying the brand new road which they thought was never going to materialise. We are also working on the bridges network down to Kalambaina; from Runjin Sambo to burst out at a cement factory. There’s a very old historical road and it’s currently under construction. I equally remember our campaign trip to (Alkilla settlement). In return for their support, he promised to fix the road network in the settlement and that project is ongoing, about 10 roads. Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto is a born leader that God has blessed with a wonderful memory, conscience and the love of people. He has proven himself equal to the task of moving the state forward.
But is housing a problem in Sokoto capital town?
Housing is a worldwide problem that is not limited to Sokoto State. It’s a significant challenge. The argument as to which is first is as old as man- whether it’s food or shelter, but I know man can do without food for days while without shelter and exposure to the elements, it would be difficult to survive. As of 2023, the housing deficit in Nigeria stood at 28 million units. Before Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto took over, more than 98% of the total assets of the state government had been sold. This is why the provision of housing became urgent for the governor. Within the first 30 days, we initiated the construction of 500 housing units and we will continue building until we ensure that everyone has a roof over their head. But, it hasn’t been easy because the former administration left debts and crisis for the governor, For instance, we had to negotiate with the contractor handling the housing project, who initially dragged the government to court. Thankfully, he is back to site. Our hope is that by the end of this year, the 500 housing units would be delivered. That may solve certain problems for the civil servants that are without accommodation.
Beyond crisis-ridden projects, are there other challenges as there are claims that the last governor did not leave a handover note for his successor?
We inherited crisis in virtually every sector. Take the (Gidan Salanke Housing ) Estate project which was abandoned and the contractor had dragged the government to court because the previous administration didn’t keep to the terms of the contract agreement. We negotiated with the contractors because it’s not good for a government to be dragged to court since government is continuity and because the governor believes in justice. The government can’t trample on your rights because it’s powerful. On a daily basis, we are engaging with contractors who were not paid for contracts executed.
Like I said we completed the (Rijiyar Dorowa flyover), which we met around 65% completion but was abandoned. Again, we had to negotiate with the contractor who had abandoned the site. Unfortunately, there were no documents since Aminu Tambuwal decided not to do a proper handover. I want to make something clear: this administration is not in any way hostile to the former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, but we have a responsibility to inform the people of Sokoto State of the state of things. For instance, the Sokoto Central Market that was burnt, while the former administration initiated the reconstruction of the market but unknown to the good people of Sokoto State, the market had actually been mortgaged. Some weeks ago the government received a notice from one of the commercial banks that it is entitled to more than 50% of the stalls in the market. As in everything about the former administration, they left no document on the transaction. There is no evidence of what they did with the facility. We are engaging the bank to see how we can retrieve our property from them.
It’s one week one trouble from abandoned contracts. Just as I am dealing with the market issue, another problem with the (Tashar Illela to Achida road construction) has just surfaced. The constructor abandoned the road. He was given two sets of roads. The first road is Sokoto to Shuni road and the second is Tashar Illela to More Achida road). Aminu Tambuwal was unfair to the people of Sokoto State. He ought to have left records which would guide the new government. We lost valuable time trying to make sense of things. Thankfully, the governor came prepared; he has refused to be distracted by the challenges. His capacity to absorb shock is amazing, including his maturity in handling situations. He is not a storyteller. So, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto always finds a way to resolve the situation. He knows where he is headed to, which explains why he works 24 hours. He is equal to the task.
How has the government been getting the resources to execute all the projects, considering that the previous government obtained loans whether for the road projects or the market?
I have asked this question myself; the obvious answer is the prudent management of the resources and because unlike Aminu Tambuwal he is not interested in contesting for the presidency. The ambition of Aminu Tambuwal to use the governorship as a stepping stone to the presidency explains why he had nothing to show for the eight years he was in office. To run for the presidency is not a joke. The governor hasn’t borrowed a dime; every project is being funded from the allocation we are getting from the Federal Government, as well as the Internally Revenue Generated (IGR) And the governor ensures value for money and that each kobo that comes in counts. The people are seeing their resources being put to use and they see their governor unlike the former governor who only visits the state.
What does the governor intend to do as regards the indebtedness of the government on the market? And if I got you right, you said there is no evidence of the collections either in terms of the rebuilding of the market or in your coffers. I remember vividly, that former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike donated N500 million to the state government.
I maintain my statement that absolutely no record was handed over to us until these financial institutions started coming with their claims. They are a profit-making company, so they played their cards well. We are daily being ambushed. Certainly, we have no option but to dialogue and discuss with them so we can find a solution. But be rest assured that Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto would not abandon any property or properties belonging to the people of Sokoto State to be taken over by any financial institution. So every month, we are paying around N300 million to that particular bank over the Sokoto Central Market transaction.
So, how much is the government owing the bank?
It’s around N1.8 billion.
Do you have the number of the traders that were affected for reallocation purposes after the reconstruction of the market? And are there plans to increase the number of stores?
The market belongs to the state government. The traders are tenants and depending on the agreement between them and the state government through the market management company, they pay rents. As to the number of shops, there are more than 1000 shops in the Sokoto Central Market and currently, about 60% of it is functioning; only about 40% was burnt by fire. The Tambuwal administration commenced the reconstruction but the project, technically speaking, was abandoned. The state government is now paying both the principal and the interest. We have records of those occupying the stalls. We will ensure that everyone gets his shop back. For now, there is no need to expand the market because there are still vacant shops.
Would the government blacklist the banks involved in these transactions?
It all depends on the nature of the breaches of the agreement by them. If the financial institution has not breached any of its obligations, there would be no need for the government to take further action. My governor, being a man of peace, would any day prefer dialogue until you push him to the wall; it is then you will see the other side of him. We can’t deny any proven liability of government. We are operating from a position of weakness, considering that we don’t have records. However, this doesn’t mean that contractors can attempt to swindle the government.
We are painstakingly going through records of payment at the Ministry of Finance. Any dubious contractor cannot succeed; rather, he or she would have jeopardised their chances of doing business with the government. For example, the contractor that handled the flyover bridge, which we met uncompleted and we were desirous of swiftly completing because it’s within the center of the town, brought his documents and we worked with the finance ministry to ascertain the amount he had been paid. Thankfully, payments are through financial institutions. So, these financial institutions have equally been helpful.
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