By Ishaq Sani
There is nothing a public officeholder could do to escape the unjust criticisms of his traducers in this part of the world we live in. Sokoto state governor, Dr Ahmad Aliyu, despite the high standard he is setting for state governors to emulate in terms of honesty and prudence, still comes under the hammer of some attention-seeking critics.
The recent media report that has included his name among some state governors who took loans amounting to over N226.8bn from domestic and external financiers is worrisome. It is worrisome because it is clear that my state governor has been wrongly included on the list of those state executives.
The report said in the first six months after taking office, 13 new state governors collectively borrowed N226.8bn from domestic and external financiers; that 16 state governors also increased the debt profile of their states by N509.3bn.
This is according to an analysis of the latest sub-national debt reports released by the DMO.
The sub-national debts are classified into domestic borrowings from local creditors and external borrowings from international creditors like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It said Gov Aliyu borrowed $499,472.
I cannot speak for anybody but I can speak for Gov Aliyu of Sokoto state. The monumental feat he has recorded in infrastructural development, security and welfare are done from state’s allocation from the federation account and internally generated revenue in the state.
It is worthy of note that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said Federal Government would not continue with the massive borrowings of the previous government to fund its expenditures, and Gov Aliyu is going by the directive from the president.
The rise in FAAC allocations to the three tiers of government, especially the states, followed the removal of subsidy on petrol and currency reforms by the Tinubu administration has provid loled the needed revenue for prudent state governors to run their governments without going aborrowing as the reforms have reportedly led to a 40 per cent boost in income.
Governor Aliyu therefore, has not taken any loan to execute the developmental projects in the state. And this is verifiable. Records are there for any concerned compatriots to see.
Gov Aliyu, while speaking with BBC Hausa Service report, strongly countered this mischievous report by enemies of progress.
Sokoto state shouldn’t be on the list of northern states that have taken loans to execute developmental projects.
Expressing dismay over the inclusion of Sokoto state among the northern states in the loan issue, Aliyu said his administration had never received any loan from anybody from within or outside the country, and made it categorically clear that he had never taken any loan from anybody since he came onboard.
Therefore, he was shocked when he saw Sokoto state being listed among the northern states that have collected foreign loans in order to develop their states.
The report was indeed misleading, and we expect them to verify the information they claimed to have gotten before going on air.
We who have seen Gov Aliyu’s selfless service challenge any individual or body that has any record where he applied or received any foreign or local loans to produce the document.
It is not possible to take a loan without following certain procedures including seeking approval from your state Assembly lawmakers. But in Sokoto, nothing happened like that.
The governor further said that all the projects he has executed across the length and breadth of the state were funded through the monthly allocation from the federation account or the money realized from state internally generated revenue.
Sokoto doesn’t need any loan before executing projects because it is managing the little resources due to her shrewdly.
It could be recalled that the BBC Hausa service earlier on Monday reported that Sokoto state government was among the northern states that have taken foreign loans to execute developmental projects.
For Governor Aliyu to achieve in 100 days what his predecessor in the PDP could not do in eight years might have drawn the anger of his traducers.
It is worthy of note that the revamping of potable water supply in the state; something that has not been witnessed for many years by Sokoto could make opposition to be envious of him.
It is simply true that Gov Aliyu’s traducers are desperate mischief makers who are on the payroll of some faceless individuals masquerading as saviours or emancipators of Sokoto people.
It is worthy of note that true residents of Sokoto state are on ground monitoring the policies and programmes of Gov Aliyu, and have challenged the so-called Tinubu for Real group to prove to Sokoto people if they had ever touched ground in Sokoto state to see things by themselves.
We therefore, challenge Gov Aliyu’s blind critics to visit Sokoto first and find out the latest developments on infrastructure and security put together to secure the state for now and the future.
We are of the belief that the groups that are levelling these spurious criticisms on our governor are wrongly relying on old details prior to the governor’s assumption of office.
It is heartwarming that for the first time in decades, Sokoto has a young, vibrant governor who is spearheading a knowledge-driven economy, efficient transportation system and prompt payment of workers’ salaries.
Governor Aliyu’s fast-growing masses-friendly administration has been unrivalled in recent history of the state, and should we hang him for that?
Ishaq Sani writes from Sokoto, Sokoto state.
