THE Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouq, is herself from Zamfara State, which is believed to be the epicenter of banditry and kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria.
The office she occupied in the federal cabinet during the Buhari administration demanded neutrality in service delivery and to serve with passion, with particular emphasis on the plight of victims of banditry, insurgency and other disasters, but not against political opponents or oiling the political ambitions of anyone against public interest.
Ideally, she was to represent the people of Zamfara State in the federal cabinet. But from the records, she did nothing worth commendation in helping women and children in that state devastated by terrorists.
If Sadiya could not help her own constituency as their representative in the federal executive council, what more should the rest of Nigeria expect?”Bulama Bukarti in STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER Daily Trust Newspaper back column of Wednesday, January 5, 2022.
The above quoted statement seems to have exposed the incapacitation, inhumanity and insincerity of Sadiya Umar Farouk who allegedly was disconnected from Abuja, street mobile hawking and pedestrian politics, to the exalted office of a federal minister charged with a sensitive responsibility far above her capacity that she abused with infinity.
Instead of attending to the woes of the unfortunate victims of banditry, insurgency and other associated vices in her native Zamfara and other parts of Nigeria, she chose to politicize the mandate of her office in Bauchi State to create political confusion, tension and crisis targeted to achieving a selfish interest of her husband who was an APC 2023 gubernatorial candidate that received a well deserved defeat with over 90,000 clean votes difference.
Her grand plan was deceiving the poor with federal government intervention schemes in expectation of support, to her husband abandoning the real expected beneficiaries to their plight.
Wonders shall never end most especially with the presence of political jesters penetrating into Bauchi political turf. Suffice it to the 2019 gubernatorial race, erstwhile governor of the state, M.A Abubakar was accused of poor service performance among others. He was alleged to have failed in delivering what was expected of him as the governor which necessitated his defeat in the election and replaced with the best candidate opposition could offer to salvage the state, and has proved that perception right.
Fortunately enough for the state, the best offered proved to doubting Thomas that he was truly the best to serve with concern to the plight of the people and underdevelopment. When Sen. Bala Muhammed took over, he introduced saving mechanisms in piloting the affairs of government. He never minced words and gave a clear direction of where he was going. He believes in service delivery at minimum cost and to standard. Armed with the necessary commitment, within a short period, he has changed the face of Bauchi from a sleepy glorified village status to a vibrant modern city.
Ironically, his decision to block all loopholes in the state’s financial system and reposition the civil service for optimum performance appears to have offended some politicians in the political chess game that hitherto rated him low in leadership while some suddenly developed envy and hatred.
It is revealed that on account of his reforms and successes, some forces sprouted to gang- up against the journalist-turned politician’s second term bid.
Governor Bala has vowed that his administration remains committed to accountability and transparency in the interest of development which was an illusion in the past.
“I shall continue to block all leakages to ensure that all revenue accrued to the state are judiciously utilized and channeled to development strides. My government is not for any personal benefit or parochial interest but for the benefit of all”, he stated.
From his body chemistry, he never wasted time in carrying out those promised reforms, including fishing out ghost workers and other criminally minded civil servants that contribute to retarding the progress of the state overtime.
Today, Bauchi State civil service has steadily moved from analog to digital and has recorded a lot of progress to the pride of all.
Governor Bala has undoubtedly plugged all loopholes and government financial transactions made more open and transparent. And the new norm is yielding the desired dividends as the state’s internally generated revenue has appreciated and stabilizing for better days against the interest of his detractors.
But, that is an albatross to those in aspiration and desperate through support from the likes of Sadiya Umar Farouk whose pockets have dried as a result of the reforms and are extremely bitter with the giant strides so far recorded by Bala Muhammed that give them sleepless nights brainstorming on how to ridicule his personality and the government he leads.
The grapevine has it that in conjunction with their godfathers of retrogression, who Bala has forced to political oblivion, the detractors and enemies of the progress of Bauchi State worked assiduously to block the anointed Bala from accessing another term against the interest of the majority, which they failed to do despite several claims.
“The clowns, guising as politicians, could not imagine another four years without business as usual”, said a reliable source close to the rabble rousers. Will those in coalition succeed in their gang-up against a destined servant who has proved his worth and admired by those who mandated him to serve? We waited to see how the gang-up could work while watching how the now embattled former Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management suspiciously squandered public funds budgeted for humanitarian disaster and deploying other deceitful mechanisms through the misuse of the public office she occupied on the tall and unrealizable ambition of her husband in a state he never associated with in his hey days but was so desperate to govern even as he and her lack a base of historical identity with the state. Is Bauchi State a collection of fools and rogues so blind to have allowed another suspected ‘foreigner’ govern it? In unison, the electorates said No! Their No saved the state from the hands of suspected undertakers so hungry for power.
Now, the difference is so glaringly clear, as Bala is working round the clock to upgrade Bauchi to its envisaged standard in the comity of states.
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
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