By

Lawali Aliyu Usma

Let me begin by saying, the level of political conspiracy manufactured by the incoming government of the People’s Democratic Party in Zamfara state simply to tarnish the reputation of Governor Bello Matawalle is becoming a step toward another political crises in the state.

The recent publication by Sahara reporters dated 30th April 2023 with caption above is a symbolic manifestation of how desperate the PDP and its supporters are to ridicule the hard-earned reputation of the Governor since they believe that, the so-called victory that was conferred on the party is mere temporal and cannot stand the taste of the judicial hammer at the election petition tribunal.

The publication by the Sahara Reporters and the allegations raised are not only baseless but allegations that wear the looks of traditional folk-tales which are purposely engineered to please the hearing of the hopeless political losers.

Going straight to the issues raised in the Publication, PDP agents misinformed Sahara Reporters that “the state government approved the sum of N593, 535,254.00 for the construction of the road that links Kaiwa to Lamba to Gidan Goga ward on the Kauran Namoda/Shinkafi Federal Highway. Meanwhile, the total sum of N525,510,516.77 has been released to the contractor, Mother Cat Nigeria Limited. The outstanding payment for the project is N68,024,737.23, yet no work has started on the site”.

It is evidently clear that the sponsor of this article is out for mischief because since last two years, effort has been made by the contractor to ensure 100% completion of this laudably initiated project started by Governor Bello Matawalle.

The project based on the fact is at the 20% level of completion, and it will be laughable for the sponsor of the article to say that work is yet to commence on that road because about three and a half kilometers of that portion of the road has been completed based on the stipulated agreement as can be seen in the picture attached.

No one can deny the fact that the development along the Gidan Goga area especially as it relates to the activities of the armed bandits, has remained a source of worry. From 2020 to date, Gidan Goga has become inaccessible even to its residents due to rampant kidnapping and abduction for ransom.

The contractor had to move out of the site after a series of threats against him and his staff and it was evident that between 2020 to date, more than ten attacks were launched by the bandits on the people of Gidan Goga.

As cited by the Governor severally, he has made efforts to ensure some of the projects he started at some strategic locations in Zamfara have been completed but due to the activities of the armed bandits’ majority of the contractors have abandoned their construction sites due to the fear of the bandits.

The sponsor of the same article had also misled the Sahara Reporters by alleging that, ”The outgoing government also approved the sum of N1,875,259,890.00 (N1.8 billion) for the construction of Danmarke to Kanoma Road in the Maru Local Government Area of the state.

Sahara Reporters specifically added that “investigation showed that the sum of N1, 567,566,531.65 (approximately N1.6 billion) has been withdrawn from the government account and released to the contractor Nael Bin Harmal Hydro Export (NBHH) Nigeria Limited. The outstanding payment is just N307,693,358.35 (about N308 million) but unfortunately, the project is yet to commence”.

I think both the media organization and the sponsor of this mischievous write-up are too economical with the truth if they can claim that “the project is yet to commence” because people of Kanoma-Danmarke-Ruwan Doruwa must be left in doubt that the project is yet to commence when several kilometers had been constructed with asphalt, drainages, and culverts were also constructed in several parts of the roads as indicated in this write-up.

“If not because of the fear of the armed bandits who had been terrorizing that aspect of the state, the Kanoma-Ruwan Doruwa-Danmarke road would have become history because the project is among the most lovely projects the Governor would have envy to completed.

Furthermore, Syndicate Construction and Commercial Company Limited was awarded a contract to construct two roads; the Maradun to Magami and Faru Road in the local government area of the governor and Mada to Wonaka R/Bore Road. The sum of N3, 391, 118, 189. 70 (about N3.4 billion) was withdrawn from Zamfara State’s treasury and released as payment for the work, which is yet to commence, let alone reach completion level.

It is my candid opinion that, the sponsor of this article is mischievous only if he can capitalize on given handy information without going to the field to verify. In all these road projects, he told Sahara reporters’ majority of them had reached significant level of completion except that of Mada-Ruwan Bore-Wonaka which could not begins due to the high tense of insecurity bedeviling the area.

The sponsor of this article by Sahara Reporters also stated that, “the sum of N172.4 million has been released by the state government to M. Sulaiman Enterprises Limited as payment for the construction of a 600m Chediya Ukku – Gidan Mayana – Magama – Tullukawa along Anka Road.

Evidently this need not be defended because people of the area and indeed those plying the road frequently must testify to the fact that the road has not only been completed by the administration of Matawalle but also changes the outlook of the entire area,

They also mischievously alleged that, “a contractor, Solid Soils Limited, was given a job to construct Kwanar Magarya – Magama – Yanbuki – Jibiya Road and the sum of N929.5 billion was released by the state government as payment for the work, yet there is nothing on the ground to show for it”.

I think the pictures attached in this article significantly evict the palpable rumor being mongered by the mischief-makers within the PDP; hence significant progress has been made in making sure that the road project is completed.

The sponsors of this article also alleged that, “Matawalle approved the reconstruction and completion of the General Hospital in the Shinkafi local council area with the sum of N2,429,301,036.61 (N2.4 billion) already released to the contractor 180 Circle Construction and Engineering Limited, which exceeds 80 per cent of the total amount approved for the project. Again, there is nothing on the site to justify that N2.4 billion had been released for the job.

People of Shinkafi should be able to probe whether there are many differences between then and now as it relates to the upgrade and completion.