The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sokoto state chapter has described as an exercise in futility an attempt by the Sokoto state commissioner of Information, Alhaji Sambo Bello Danchadi, to water down a statement by the governor of Sokoto state on the expenditure of N 1.2 billion 25 boreholes repairs and fencing of streets in the metropolis
This was contained in a press statement issued and made available to newsmen in Sokoto by the PDP’s spokesman in the state, Alhaji Hassan Sahabi Sanyinawal in Sokoto
“The commissioner’s attempt to mitigate the scandal over governorl’s declared expenditure of N1.2 billion on the repair of 25 boreholes in the state and the questionable award of contract for the fencing of streets in Sokoto Metropolis was an exercise in futility,”
PDP added that the confusion created by the contradictory explanations on two different occasions between the governor and state commissioner of Environment as to whether the contract is for the repair of or the construction of new facilities is yet to be resolved.
The statement further said that the commissioner of Information has granted an interview to one of the national daily in Abuja, to cause a new twist to the imbroglio, by ascribing the crisis to what he described as “a slip of tongue” by his principal, the State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, on the status of the project, which had not been admitted by the Governor himself in his previous effort to explain away the scandal.
“In his feeble and belated attempt at damage control, Danchadi, simply repeated the unsubstantiated claim of his boss that the project is a tripartite intervention involving the state and federal governments, and the World Bank.
“But he too failed to meet the demand of proof by going to the national daily empty handed, without the relevant documented evidences of the true status of the boreholes project, which include the contract award papers, MoU, specific locations and costs breakdown of the boreholes in question,” the PDP stated
The opposition party queried that even if the project was a joint initiative and the boreholes were newly constructed, would the Federal Government and World Bank be so imprudent, as to pay N48 million for the drilling of a single borehole? Or was Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s quoted contract sum also inadvertent?
It said the commissioner also tried without success to justify the contract for the erection of wire fences in major streets of the state capital, claiming that the wire mesh is installed to save the people’s lives and property.
“The issue with this explanation, which is already being raised by a generality of the people, is whether spending billions on fencing off the streets of Sokoto should be the greater priority on security than committing adequate resources to dealing with banditry in Eastern Sokoto and other areas of the state ravaged by insecurity,”
It explained that the actions if the governor has clearly indicates the administration’s lack of focus or lack of commitment to the problem of banditry in the state.
“It is indeed, a gross lack of concern for the plight of the unfortunate communities in the state that are living in peril and constant terror of bandits.
“An equally salient issue with the street fencing project that the Commissioner ought to have addressed is the implication of the details of the contract award document obviously being circulated by the state government.
“The letter by its dating, indicated that the job was awarded in March 2024 but the fences were already being installed as early as February 2024 and State Government’s social media handlers had already started covering them on Facebook.
“This fact raises the weighty issue of pre-emptive contract awards, a serious financial crime, which the relevant anti-graft agencies should discharge their statutory duty of investigating.
“The Sokoto State House of Assembly is also constitutionally obligated to probe this possible breach of due process and the rules guiding public procurement by the Executive, which is an impeachable offence, as enshrined in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the main opposition party in the state explained