Al-Makura: Why I am probing Abdullahi Adamu

[PHOTO] Al-Makura: Why I am probing Abdullahi Adamu

Adamu fires back

Nasarawa state governor, Tanko Al-Makura on Thursday said he decided to Institute a probe into the activities of one of his predecessor and Senator representing Nasarawa West, Abdullahi Adamu, after eleven years, saying “certain issues take a long time before they come up.”

But in a sharp reaction, the former governor said he welcome the decision by the governor to set up of a 9-man Committee by to investigate certain activities carried out during his stewardship as governor of the State.

Senator Adamu had governed the state between 1999 to 2007 before heading for the senate.

Governor Al-Makura had on Wednesday set up a panel headed by the State Commissioner of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Ayuba Dogara Ayenajeh, to investigate the handling of the Farin Ruwa Independent Hydro-Power Project, the Zimbabwean Farmers Project, as well as concession arrangements for some Nasarawa State properties during Senator Adamu’s tenure as governor of the state.

Al-Makura told newsmen after his screening for the Senatorial seat in Nasarawa State that he set up the panel of enquiry issues that have taken many years but necessary for investigation.

“You see, government is dynamic. Operation of government is also dynamic. Certain things propose certain things. Certain actions precipitate certain actions and as far as governance is concerned, the gestation period for a number of issues don’t come at the same time. Certain issues take a long time before they come up themselves that is the case with the commission of enquiry I constituted yesterday.

“Issues that were at stake, were issues that have taken many years to culminate to need and necessity for investigation.”

Reacting to Development, the former governor said he will not succumb to “blackmail” and “intimidation” over his political differences with the governor.

Speaking through his legislative aide, Jibrin Abdullahi, the former governor said “everything we did while I was governor of Nasarawa State were done openly and transparently, and the records are there for public scrutiny”, adding that the Farin Ruwa Project was never “abandoned” as insinuated but that since government is a continuum, he expected his successors to complete the project after his two terms in Office.

“It’s in view of the viability of that project that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has now taken over not only with the intention of completing the proposed 20MW power component, but is also considering the possibility of incorporating other components like irrigation and water supply”, he said.

He said the Farin Ruwa dam project had reached over 60% completion stage by 2007 when he left Office, stressing that this was duly acknowledged by Governor Al-Makura when the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources visited him in Lafia barely two months ago to announce the Federal Government’s decision to take over the project.

“It is therefore pure mischief and an attempted blackmail for him (Governor Al-Makura) to turn round and say he is investigating the handling of that project under my watch”, he said.

On the lease agreement for management of Keffi Hotels, Senator Adamu said a private company with which he is associated, Pan-Afric Resources Limited, entered into a lease agreement with the then Plateau State Military Administration of Col. Joshua Madaki (now late) in 1990-91, five years before Nasarawa State was created

He said “I believe the great value addition that we’ve done to the hotel made successive governments in our state, including Umaru’s which is due to leave Office in a few months, to allow us to continue as concessionaires in the hotel. “I think the fact that Pan-Afric Resources has complied with the terms of the lease agreement and has turned the abandoned property to what it now, appears to have become a source of jealousy for Governor Al-Makura, who has now turned into a hotelier since becoming governor”, Adamu said, adding that “he might wish to spread his authority as governor to investigate Lafia Hotel, which his government inherited, and make the report of his finding also public”.

The senator reiterated his decision to welcome the setting up of the probe panel, which he described as “a political misadventure” and “an exercise in futility that was clearly misguided”.

According to Senator Adamu: “Barely one month ago, I led a delegation of House of Assembly members, present and former commissioners, LGA chairmen, and APC local government chairmen to the Government House in Lafia to pay Sallah Homage to him (Governor Al-Makura) and he used that opportunity to assure people aspiring to all political offices of level playing field during the primaries of our party, the APC.

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“In fact, he even used the opportunity to congratulate me on my elevation to the title of the Turakin Keffi, expressing delight in the honour which he said was a result of my commitment, loyalty and adherence to the establishment, besides also explaining to some of the young people at the meeting that he and I have come a long way since the days of NPN when we were both part of the Executive Council long before most of the politicians of today ventured into politics.

“Over and above that, we’ve had at least three separate stakeholders meetings in his Office in Lafia, in the past eight weeks, during which he said publicly that he had no anointed candidate, only for him to now turn round and instruct public office holders and political appointees under him to line up behind a particular person. Now, I’m tempted to wonder what has changed within these four weeks that he (Governor Al-Makura) is busy trying to muzzle any person opposed to his attempted imposition of an aspirant on the APC in Nasarawa State?”, the senator asked.

The former governor said that as a law abiding citizen, he will continue to accord Al-Makura due respect as governor of his home state, saying however, that “as a firm believer in the democratic tenets of freedom of association and the freedom to hold opinion, I’m entitled to support the aspiration of the person I believe will serve the best interest of my people”