By A’ISHA UMAR ALIYU AND ADAM JIBRIN
About 18 trucks of fertilizer valued at over N80 million meant for distribution to formers in the 17 local government councils in Yobe State was allegedly diverted by the State ANPP Chairman and his Secretary, Sani Inuwa Nguru and Mohammed Gaskanta respectively. The allegation was contained in widely distributed pamphlets authored by one Nazib Jibrin during the occasion of the Ed-el Fitri celebration. Findings by Desert Herald reveal that a petition was indeed submitted to Senator Mamman Ali by the aggrieved members of the State ANPP Exco, exposing how the State Chairman and his secretary unilaterally diverted the 18 trucks of fertilizer provided by Senator Ali for distribution to his ANPP loyalists across the state.
But despite the evidence forwarded by the aggrieved ANPP Exco led by the state Vice Chairman, Senator Ali did not take any action as at the time of filing this report. This reporter reliably learnt from an insider that Senator Mamman Ali, obviously because of further embarrassment the fertilizer Scam will cause to his crisis ridden administration, has decided to condone the greed and sabotage Sani Nguru a.k.a Sani Jinni and Mohammed Gaskanta inflicted to his administration.
Nazib Jibrin has also accused Senator Ali's Special Adviser on Special Duties, Baba Ciroma, of benefiting from the proceeds of the fertilizer diversion. He lamented how Baba Ciroma single handedly appointed the present ANPP Exco and plotted the removal of the then Lawan Mai Goroma led EXCO. Nazib claimed that when Senator Ali confirmed the veracity of the petition against “Sani Jinni, Gaskata and by implication Baba Ciroma, he was left in serious trouble and in a dilemma. He was left with the devils option of condoning the disgrace to prevent more serious embarrassment.”
Nazib further accused Senator Mamman Ali of encouraging and condoning corruption at a time he is claiming to sanitize the system through salary verification and the planned retrenchment. He said at a time of serious hardship when Senator Ali's administration has concentrated and gave emphasize in building the economy of non-indigenes through government patronage and contracts, “Sani Janni, Gaskanta and their boss Baba Ciroma, are already enjoying the proceeds from the fertilizer Scam.”
The writer said he has confirmed through “impeccable source that Sani Jinni has bought a house of N2.5 million at Buhari Quarters in Damaturu and spent another N4 million in renovating, equipping and furnishing it. He has also installed a sound proof generator with the fertilizer scam money while poor people that should have benefited from the fertilizer are left in hopelessness.”
Reliable but unconfirmed source has also linked the fertilizer scandal to the state Commissioner of Agriculture, Alkali Jajere. The source told this reporter that 'Jajere has benefited from the fertilizer diversion which prompted Senator Ali to query him. He is the commissioner in charge and the supply was done by him. Even though it was given to the party EXCO, it is his duty to ensure that it is not diverted.”
Nazib's pamphlet also claimed that “Danlami, Senator Ali's biological brother, has continued to make millions through shady deals. Danlami is now the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing as well as the Managing Director of the Housing Corporation. He is also among the few unofficial contractors of the Mamman Ali bonanza government.” He also alleged that the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baba Goni Machina, has began to enjoy the corrupt system that brought him to government.
Governor Ali's Director of Press, Abdullahi Bego, also came under serious criticism and was alleged to be feeding fat by Nazib at the expense of journalists and the huge publicity blitz allocations to his office. Nazib alleged that despite spending over N100 million “so far through his dubious initiative for media propaganda and mischief, the image of the government keeps deteriorating by the day while Bego's economy had continued to rise.” He alleged that the Director of Press has built a house of N30 million in Maiduguri and bought two other houses at Gashua and Jakusko. “He has been manipulating poor and helpless journalists in the state. He has made so much money using claims that never reach them. It is widely reported that most of the media crises and the release of government scandals are being orchestrated by Bego in order to benefit at the end,” Nazib alleged.
Nazib also lambasted one Isioma Ezi Ashi, the owner of Sermatech Nigeria Limited and a indigene of Bayelsa State, whose company benefited from the multi-billion naira projects awarded by Senator Mamman Ali for praising the governor for awarding 70 percent of the questionable contracts so far to non-indigenes of the state at a time when the economy of the state is at the brink of virtual collapse. He said “Isioma knows that no indigene of Yobe State or the north no matter how qualified will be considered for even a contract of N10 million in Delta State or any state in the Niger Delta.” He alleged that Isioma's “Sermatech and several other phantom companies introduced as conduit pipes by Mamman Ali have woefully failed the state despite collecting billions of naira from tax payer's money.”
Nazib then claimed that Isioma's interview in the Daily Trust was organized, sponsored and fabricated by him in order to deceive the outside world. Isioma claimed in the interview that he did not know Senator Mamman Ali prior to the multi-billion naira contracts he got from the governor. But an insider that pleaded not to be mentioned told Desert Herald that indeed there is a relationship between Senator Ali, Ezi-Ashi and his brother who now occupies an important position in government prior to his (Isioma's) temporary relocation to Yobe State and that the company was unduly favoured not because of its competence or record of service as there is virtually none.
Another serious allegation against the Mamman Ali administration by Nazib Jibrin, which has not been denied or disputed at the time of going to press, is the alleged bribe given to the judiciary to facilitate his case. Nazib alleged that “It is no longer news that in an effort to survive as governor, Mamman Ali has so far spent N2.6 billion from the treasury of the state through the notorious services of Baba Ciroma, Mohammed Hassan and Barrister Aliyu Shehu to bribe judges at different levels of the tribunal and appeal proceedings.
For the first time since he was sworn-in barely 17 months ago, Senator Mamman Ali has spent eight days in the State Capital, Damaturu, before embarking on his recent foreign trip, which Senator Adamu Talbu described as insensitive and wastage of tax payers money. Senator Mamman Ali reportedly used a chartered plane belonging to one Kashim Bukar allegedly at an alarming rate of N130 million for the lesser Hajj (Umrah) in which he spent only three days during the Ramadan period. Desert Herald Weekly can authoritatively reveal that all the expenses of the frequent foreign and domestic trips of the governor, which is usually personal including the Umrah trip and the recent one he embarked upon, is being borne by the Yobe State government. “Do you know that it was only him and his ADC in the chartered plane he used in going for the lesser Hajj? And on return he even assisted the Kebbi State governor using public resources. He came back with governor Dakingari all at the expenses of Yobe State government. Kebbi State government did not pay anything to Kashim Bukar. This man is crazy and really insensitive. He has forgotten that the money does not belong to him. This is madness,” Baba Galadima lamented. ■