There is widespread anxiety and panic across states over final arrangements, 72 hours to the inauguration of new governors to run the affairs of 33 out of the 36 states in the country.
In Imo, Ogun, Kwara, Oyo and Lagos states, there are issues on lack of collaboration and cooperation between the transition committees set up by outgoing and incoming governors.
Though a few of the incoming governors have promised to ensure a smooth transition of power, others are still estranged over harmonisation of positions, as part of the fallouts of the last general election coupled with perceived attempt by the incumbents to set booby-traps for their successors.
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There has been accusation and counter-accusation over what the expected state chief executives consider as the last-minute major activities of the outgoing governors, especially on new and ongoing contracts running into billions of naira.
They are also at logger heads over fresh political appointments made by the incumbents, even as the new governors have developed goose pimples over the likely challenges from the payment of the new national minimum wage of N30, 000 to workers.
Both the Lagos State House of Assembly and outgoing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode are locked in a battle of wits over the state government budget for the current year.
However, a number of states had put finishing touches to elaborate programmes as part of the events that would lead to the inauguration of new governors on Wednesday across the state capitals.
In some states, however, there is no love lost between outgoing and incoming governors, with their transition committees almost working across purposes.
Grouse over entitlements
Reports from Zamfara State had it that though about 90 percent of the contract awarded by the outgoing administration of Governor Abdul Aziz Yari Abubakar had almost been completed, there were are serious issues over unpaid entitlements of primary school teachers, pensioners and local government workers.
The Zamfara Commissioner for Information, culture and Tourism, Alhaji Sanda Mohammad Danjari said the governor have fulfilled many, if not all his campaign promises particularly projects that has direct bearing with the electorate in the state.
He disclosed that roads,schools construction and renovations, water projects, hospitals and supply of fertilizer among others were fulfilled promised made to the electorate in the state.
However, pensioners in the state complained of hardship due to the failure of the state government to settle the gratuity and entitlements of senior citizens as chairman state union of pensioners revealed that both state and local government pension boards have over 8000 pensioners and are in desperate struggle to have their entitlements paid.
Ambode fully set for exercise
Ahead of hand over to the new government to be led by Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the outgoing governor, Mr Ambode, appeared set for the ceremony, as he has been busy commissioning various projects across Lagos.
The governor, who sources said had since moved almost all his personal belongings from the Lagos House at Alausa, Ikeja to his private residence, in Epe, his hometown on Friday, commissioned an ultra-modern Lagos Theatre.
He declared that he was a fully- fulfilled man, having in the last four years done his very best to implement a number of projects which, he said, had changed the outlook of the town (Epe) and made life further comfortable for the people, as well as improve the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state.
Already, all his commissioners have also turned in their hand over notes, even as the Transition Committee set up by the governor- elect, Mr Sanwo-Olu, and headed by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Tunji Bello, has since set to work, with every arm of the body putting finishing touches to plans already on ground as of Friday to ensure a very successful exercise.
Ajimobi sets to hand over to Makinde…
On Wednesday, May 29, the curtains will be drawn on the eight years tenure of Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who will be handing over to governor-elect, Mr Seyi Makinde.
Indeed, Ajimobi, his commissioners and other members of his cabinet have begun preparing for life after office as they, in the past week, have started to bring down their portraits hung on their office walls and remove their personal effects.
As against Ajimobi’s prayers that the incoming administration should focus on governance having defeated his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March governorship election, the PDP has continued to raise alarm over purported plan of the Ajimobi’s government to deplete the state treasury, through rash and inflated award of contracts for infrastructural projects, spending from the stabilisation fund, just before leaving office.
In particular, the PDP has pointed to recent decisions of the state government to create bottlenecks for the incoming government.
Some recent decisions criticised were the restoration of 100 percent subvention to tertiary institutions, reinstatement of some sacked workers, re-award of the silo project in Awe to another contractor, renaming of roads and tertiary institutions, failure to complete ongoing road projects.
Meanwhile, the ruling party and the state government have continuously told the incoming government to stop crying wolf and only speak based on facts.
Ajimobi maintained that his administration was the best in the history of the state going by his strides in infrastructure, economy, industry, education, health, socio physical development, urban planning and upgrade of the traditional institution.
Ajimobi, particularly, asked the incoming government to source for its own funds rather than lament about its spending, and complete ongoing projects he is unable to complete.
Amid the outcry by the incoming government about his recent expenditures, Ajimobi, while delivering a public lecture at the University of Ibadan, recently dared the incoming Makinde administration to probe his administration, noting that he will award projects till his last day in office.
Completion of projects
For Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, the completion of all ongoing projects across the state in his second term would be his priority.
A source close to the governor told Sunday Tribune that directives has been given to the contractors handling various projects in the state to continue their jobs, assuring them that his second term is for continuity.
The source also maintained that the administration of Tambuwal, never believed in abandoned projects.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who spoke with Sunday Tribune challenged the government to make public the state of finance of Sokoto State.
He explained that it was necessary for the government to let the citizens of the state know what exactly was their financial status.
According to him, “I think it will serve them well (state government), to tell the whole world where the state stands in terms of debt profile and what have you.
“Simply because there is no change of government, everything is being kept under the carpet, but I think it is wrong and unacceptable.
“My candid advice to them is to quickly do the needful and allow everybody to know what exactly is happening,” he added.
Meanwhile, the state police command has assured of adequate security on the inauguration day.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed that the police Commissioner, Ibrahim Kaoje, had deployed adequate personnel to all the flash points in the state to forestall any breakdown of law.
Okorocha never gave us N150m —Planning Committee
The governorship inauguration planning and handover committee of the Imo state governor-elect, Chief Emeka Ihedioha has raised the alarm over alleged deliberate attempts by some hirelings to blackmail the in-coming governor with baseless and spurious assertions.
Chief Chris Okewulonu, chairman of the committee who briefed journalists in Owerri on programmes slated for the inauguration dismissed as grossly erroneous and misleading, recent media reports that the out-going governor Rochas Okorocha government released the sum of N150 million to facilitate the inauguration planning exercise of the governor elect.
“Let me restate for emphasis that no such money was ever released to the committee or to anybody who is part of the in-coming government of Honourable Emeka Ihedioha,” he said.
Arguing that the committee had not received any form of assistance from the out-going government in the state, Okewulonu, a former secretary to the state government and ex-member of the State House of Assembly is piqued at futile attempts by some individuals to take undeserved glory.
He declared, “While it or not our intention to join issues with the out-going governor, we still consider it imperative to put the records straight for record purposes.
“It should be known that we are committed to organizing a befitting inauguration ceremony in line with our mandate.”
According to him, the inauguration events would start today (Sunday 26th) with an inter-denominational church service at the Grasshoppers International Handball Stadium Owerri, by 12 noon, to be followed by an Arts Exhibition, tomorrow (27th) by 11.00 a.m. and a Novelty Football Match by 4.00 p.m. at the Dan Anyiam stadium, Owerri.
He noted that on Tuesday, an inauguration lecture and a mega youth concert would take place at the Grasshoppers International Handball Stadium.
The story, however, in Kano State is that many uncompleted projects litter the state with several of them dating back to the administration of both Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and Mallam Shekarau.
For example, the Independent Power Project (IPP) and the 5km road project across the state have literally been abandoned.