By Habibu Harisu/Muhammad Nasir Bello
Sokoto – The All Progressive Congress (APC), Sokoto state chapter on Tuesday told Gov. Aminu Tambuwal to stop hiding under International donor intervention projects to cover his poor performance.
Alhaji Isa Sadiq-Achida, the state APC Chairman made the call at a press conference on the current happenings in the state.
He described the state’s 2020 budget as a “mere chain of broken promises.”
According to Sadiq-Achida, the Peoples Democratic Party administration in the state is using easy approach to infrastructure development “by hiding under International donor and Intervention agencies for its capital projects.”
“A look at infrastructure provision in the supply of furniture in the 2017/2018 and the 2018/2019 budgets were sponsored by the World Bank.
“Similarly, the much celebrated construction of refuse dump sites by the state Ministry of Environment is being funded by World Bank intervention program (NEWMAP).
“The fact is that the PDP government has no moral right to claim credit for the success of international donor agencies while at the same time, diverting our scarce resources into inexplicable channels,” he said.
The chairman added that the only completed projects in the state by the Tambuwal administration are those with foreign funding, while those being funded directly by the government remained uncompleted.
Sadiq-Achida further alleged that nothing was said about the successes recorded by the government in 2019 during the presentation of the 2020 budget.
“This is in complete contrast with the established tradition where government review their performances on the outgoing budget, highlighting their achievements before presenting a new one.
“This is the normal practice all over the world. Apparently, the Sokoto state government has some skeleton in its cupboard and is therefore avoiding scrutiny,” he alleged.
The APC further described the recent award to Tambuwal by the Nigerian Tribune Newspapers as a great insult to the collective intelligence of the people of the state.
“The Nigerian Tribune owes the people of Sokoto state an explanation as to the criteria used and the selection process which led to the choice of Tambuwal as a champion of education.
“In the educational sector, despite the so called huge budgetary allocation of N47.4 billion, representing 27.9 per cent of the 2019 budget, complemented with the unfair deduction of civil servants salaries, this administration is still finding it difficult to settle the examination and registration fees of our children, who continue to lose admission opportunities,” he said.
The APC chairman advised the state government to consider capital projects as a veritable tool of fighting poverty.
“This is because of their multiplier effect in stimulating growth and development of small businesses that have often provided succour to our teeming jobless youth,” he explained.
Reacting to the allegations, State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Isah Bajini-Galadanchi said the state APC leadership misunderstood the concept of budgetting in governance.
Bajini-Galadanchi explained that budgets are basically expectations and intentions which do not usually translate into 100% reality.
He noted that lists of approved projects by the Executive Council are only achievable with corresponding availability of funds.
The Commissioner said Gov. Tambuwal had performed creditably well in execution of the 2019 budget as attested by the Speaker, House of Assembly, Alhaji Aminu Achida, an APC member, during 2020 budget presentation.
He said the administration had either continued or completed abandoned projects by past administration.
According to him, the projects included the Independent Power Plant, Cattle Breeding Project, International Conference Center, Kalambaina Housing Project and Sokoto City Projects at Asaro, Nakasari and Runjin Sambo.
He listed other projects to include the College of Nursing Sciences Sokoto, College of Agriculture Wurno, College of Legal Studies Wamakko, College of Midwifery Sciences Tambuwal, Gidan Salanke Housing Project, seven Local Government Secretariat buildings and five kilometer road networks in some local governments.
According to him, many new projects were also initiated, completed or ongoing.
He enjoined people to visit Sokoto International Diagnostic Center at Farfaru, Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto for books supplied by the government.
Bajini-Galadanchi said other projects include the Ultra-modern library complex at the state university, 60 offices in the university, Gudu Secondary School, Specialty Hospital, renovation and upgrading of general hospitals across the state.
The commissioner said the Tambuwal administration had also undertaken semi-urban water schemes in all local government areas and provided portable water to 500 rural communities.
On the Tribune award, Bajini-Galadanchi said it was in recognition of the governor’s achievement in raising schools enrolment, reduction of out of school children and provision of scholardships.
The Commissioner urged the state APC to join hands with Tambuwal admininistration in uplifting the the state.
(NAN)
