By Engr Madu Kabiru Jimeta
Before I delve into this piece, I want to categorically state that, I am not a fan or a follower of former Adamawa State governor, Senator Muhammad Umar Jibrilla Bindow. I have never met the man but then let’s call spade a spade.
I read with a lot of sadness a malicious story in circulation for over 24 hours, titled; ‘APC chieftain Jibrilla Bindow stole N62 billion from Adamawa bank accounts’ on online medium, People Gazette.
It was alleged in the story that, a discreet investigation by a govt agency has uncovered that Senator Bindow participated in looting the state’s treasury to the tune of N62 billion. 62bn? Haba!
The story further alleged that agency’s intelligence department carried out a forensic analysis of Adamawa’s finances under Bindow’s watch and uncovered billions in stolen and diverted funds through several bank accounts linked to him.
I am no journalism professional but you don’t need to be one to see the malice and falsehood lines in that story. It’s sad that at a time when this country needs uniting a few media outlets have allowed themselves to be used for witch-hunt with false stories.
Any indigene of Adamawa state, who is in Adamawa during Senator Bindow’s administration knows that this story is false and malicious. Adamawa state has never had such billions for any man to launder and with the kind of projects executed during his administration, it will to divert such funds – it’s just not possible.
There are only two states in Nigeria where a governor will divert 62bn naira and it won’t cripple the economy of the state – Lagos and Rivers. And if anyone is telling me that, Senator Bindow executed these projects and still diverted 62bn naira then Adamawa is the richest state in this country and I have no business in the engineering construction, I should join the guber race.
The big question here is, why are we seeing this kind of story on Senator Bindow when there are unconfirmed reports about his stay in the ruling APC? Why now and why Bindow? With this sad development, it will drum up the notion that some sections of the government are using some government agencies to witch-hunt people seem as the enemies of the APC or people are seen as threats to the party victory come 2023.
Sometimes, I just sit and wonder, if these politicians understand that it is God who giveth power and it is Him who taketh it when He wants and how He wants. To answer that, I don’t think they do know that, if they do, we won’t be seeing this high level of calumny campaign, smearing and intimidation.
And these things seem to happen more often in our dearest Adamawa state. I am not writing this piece to commend or condemn any politician or his aspiration, no. Far from it. I am just here to analyze the situation of things and write my unbiased opinion, as Adamawa is our home and we will be the best beneficiaries or victims if it becomes a better state or a failed one.
By the way, let’s just leave politics and differences aside and say the truth, we all know a. Lot of Adamawa politicians are jealous of Senator Bindow’s unprecedented achievements in Adamawa state, nothing they do or say will take away the fact that Bindow has been by far the most outstanding governor in the state.
I do not know of anybody in Adamawa who has held a leadership position from the state to the national level that has touched the lives of many people in the state like Bindow. There is no politician here who hasn’t been influenced by the goodwill of Bindow’s administration and I am sure that many years from now all of us and generation after will remember Bindow as the man who transformed Adamawa and made it what it is today.
Bindow has shown that governance with the people in mind, with the common man in mind is possible and that it is possible to impact the lives of all our people if we are dedicated and committed. And all of this is evident in his laudable projects cutting across the health, education, infrastructure, youth and women empowerment, agriculture as well as security.
Bindow has continuously worked for the success and progressive of progressive ideals and politics in the state. Therefore, it is baffling that he is treated with such disdain. And we all know the governor has done very well in all areas of governance – from roads, to education, to healthcare, empowerment and security. Bindow has simply done more for Adamawa in three years more than all of his predecessors has done in two decades.
Madu wrote in from Yola and he can be reached on madunengr90@gmail.com
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