Dauda Lawal: The need to abort selfish mission, by Abdul Gusau
To anyone who has been around since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria since 1999 would tell with utmost conviction the motive, the desire and plans of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.
True to an age long script Nigerians are familiar and have been entertained with, Mr. Lawal is fixated on scandalising his predecessor in an attempt to rubbish and erase his legacies and diminish his political growth while in a bid exploit it for his personal gains and self adulation.
The sustained attacks on former governor Dr. Bello Matawalle from May 29 2023 by the incumbent validates this claims, but at every turn, Gov Lawal and his team get embarrassed and left with their ego extremely battered.
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The recent of such attempt is the claims and promoted news that the government of the day is availing the general public of evidence of embezzlement against the former governor, while I was expecting hard facts and documents to back up such claims, all I saw was rhetorics and usual mudslinging.
READ ALSO: From Bank Executive To Governor: Dauda Lawal declares N9 trillion worth of assets
True to their antics, the recent statement and attack by Mr. Lawal is anything to go by, a downward review of a contract amount to graft. Claiming that no reputable bidder would not agree to a drastic reduction in cost while none to the scope of work is an evidence of corruption is watery and childish.
Let Gov Lawal be reminded that no reputable company will like to lose a good client and its integrity by insisting of defending a proposal which is outlandish, padded, and highly inflated while putting into consideration the economic realities on ground.
Governor Dauda Lawal should be reminded that the coffers of Zamfara State is not a personal bank account of Dr. Matawalle. While it is not open to any debate that as a head of government, he is responsible for the actions and inactions of his administration, this doesn’t mean things were done without recourse to extant laws of our land. Whatever amount that was paid to contractors would have been captured in the State’s Appropriation Act for the year such payment was made.
As this recent attack will not cause any meaningful damage on the rising profile of Dr. Matawalle, speculations is rife in Gusau, the State capital that Mr. Dauda Lawal intends to review about 42 contracts awarded and executed by the past administration.
READ ALSO: Gov. Matawalle concedes defeat, apologises to Zamfara people
I am not against probity and accountability, but when a serial character assassin and viperous being in power, I am expecting a flawed, tele-guided, misleading and malicious report all in a bid to misinform the public and create a perception of accountability in stead of the real intent of political witch-hunt.
It is a common fact that after such probes and investigations, many of such contracts with enormous benefits to the people are either cancelled, or reviewed and later re-awarded to cronies and political allies which in turn enrich his cronies and fester his political nest.
It is safe to say the motive behind the envisaged review is selfish and a total departure from his(Lawal) “rescue mission” and the state will become a personal enterprise as he governs the state from his comfort zone in Dubai.
Lastly, this is one man who still bears the burden of his outrageous asset declaration with the Code of Conduct Bureau and he is yet to answer Nigerians who have been demanding him to furnish them with details details of how he came by this huge amount. This has made the speculation that he might be involved in all sundry of illicit trade and money laundering.
Such a man in lacking in morals to accuse anyone of corruption and also a misfit to rule a state.
Abdul is a public affairs analysts based in Gusau.
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