The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State and the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led administration of Ahmed Aliyu in the state have differed on the state government’s achievements. The PDP accuses the state government of reckless spending.
In a press statement made available to newsmen in the state by its publicity secretary, Hassan Sahabi Sayinnawal, on Saturday, the PDP accused the APC-led administration in the state of handling public funds recklessly through what it describes as grossly inflated contracts.
In his reaction to the statement, the state commissioner for information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, described the PDP statement as shameless propaganda lacking merit.
“PDP wishes to raise a serious alarm over the increasing recklessness being displayed by the APC government in the state in the handling of public resources, through the award of grossly inflated contracts that are in defiance of due process and standard financial procedures.
“While Governor Ahmed Aliyu has, on the inception of his government, unilaterally awarded huge contracts with neither the approval of the Executive Council nor the participation of statutory Ministries and Departments, the costs of completed, ongoing, and proposed projects are a clear indication of gross misappropriation of state resources.
“It is inexcusable that the lighting of a few streets in Sokoto Metropolis is costing the people about N2 billion, even as the poles are the existing ones being repainted. The construction of urban streets in two neighborhoods is put at an unprecedented cost of N40 billion, even though none of the roads is up to two kilometers long.
“Our party views as ridiculous the spending of N292 million on the redecoration of three roundabouts in Sokoto, which have already been carried by private companies in the state. So is the allocation of a whopping N1 billion to the purchase of a new fleet of limousines for Governor Ahmed Aliyu.”
The party, however, called on Governor Ahmed Aliyu, “to reconsider the most reckless aspect of his wasteful and questionable intention of spending N800 million on the reconstruction of the Maiduguri Road by Eastern Bypass Road, which is barely two kilometers in length, while the project does not involve any clearing or compensations.
“Our party wishes to join the teeming voices of propriety and reason to implore the APC Government in Sokoto State to be prudent with the people’s resources in the face of more serious and immediate priorities, of which Ahmed Aliyu seems to be oblivious.
“We view these projects as white elephants, against the background of the serious security situation in the state, in which lives are lost, hostages are being taken daily, about which the Government is taking no action. This extravaganza is also taking place, even as Ahmed Aliyu has failed to pay and expressed unwillingness to settle tuition fees for the state’s students in higher learning institutions and fees for WAEC and NECO.
“Our Party wishes to enjoin the APC Government to plough some of the available finances towards solving the scarcity of drinking water in virtually the whole of Metropolitan Sokoto and the bad condition of health facilities in the state, since they took over, especially the Specialist Hospital, Sokoto.
“We feel there is a need for Ahmed Aliyu to inspire trust in the state and beyond that contrary to a widely-held impression, the ostentatious conduct of his government has nothing to do with a desperate search for funds to finance the ongoing legal processes against his election or a bid to reap as much as he can from the state before any eventuality.”
Responding, the state government in a statement signed by the state commissioner for information, Sambo Bello Danchadi, described the PDP statement as shameless propaganda.
He described the statement as issued by the PDP as a haphazard press release and ironically enumerated all the achievements of the six months old APC administration, which is very overwhelming. “The bone of contention in the press release is the amount of money the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration is spending on bringing back the lost glory of the good old days Sokoto was known for.
“Although, the PDP in all ramifications has agreed and accepted that the APC has within the last six months changed the socio-economic face of the state but concerned about the huge spending on projects. There is an Igbo saying that better soup na money make am therefore, quality work must surely cost so long as the people benefit from it as the end always justifies the means.
“Talking about road rehabilitation, reconstruction, and rebuilding, the Tambuwal administration spent 8 years, but everyone can count the number of road projects it executed. Apart from the few road projects the PDP executed, the quality of work done is still questionable despite the huge amount it claimed to have spent.”
He further said, “Within its 100 days in office, the Ahmed Aliyu-led administration has executed more road projects than the 8 years Tambuwal administration spent deceiving the electorate.
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