The Nyako Publicity Office released what may pass for a rejoinder to the statement earlier issued by the government of Adamawa State on the unfortunate incident that took place at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Saturday afternoon where intending pilgrims from Adamawa State held hostage a plane. The authors wrote with glee at the government’s perceived embarrassment caused by the episode. It should be noted that the government of Adamawa State cannot willingly fly its people with the aim of abandoning them anywhere, not just Kano. This has been made clear to all concerned – NAHCON, the Pilgrims, Kabo Air. We are sorry we forgot to invite the Tour Operator – the Nyako Publicity Office.
The release by the Nyako Publicity Office was heavy on “let the world know” and since we are in agreement with them and in a “letting the world know” mode, let them tell the world who contracted the carrier who caused the delay and the under-the-table deal that transpired between the then government and Kabo Air. It is not just enough to claim that seamless Hajj operations have been going on in the past “ten years”. We should be careful with our claims. The Nyako Publicity Office has been spoiling for a war of words since the removal of the former governor from office. If they are not cashing-on on other peoples’ misfortunes, they will be busy making outlandish claims. We have retrained ourselves enough in the face of the senseless mudslinging from those quarters and we may be forced to join them in the gutter and remove the gloves. The knuckles are now bare.
We will henceforth be “letting the world know” the way and manner Adamawa state was governed between May 2007 and July 2014 beginning with this response to one of their claims – that the acting governor is campaigning with funds meant for the construction of the Kiri Junction – Shelleng road. My heart bleeds for the people of Kiri, Shelleng and all the outlying villages along the proposed road. The acting governor must be heartless. But this project was awarded to SNECOU GROUP OF COMPANIES in the sum of N2,291,131,301.03 (Naira Two Billion Two Hundred and Ninety One Million One Hundred and Thirty One Thousand Three Hundred and One Three Kobo Only) in the year 2007. This particular contract was advertised as part of their achievements in the Leadership newspaper of October 23rd, 2009. The project was to be contractor-financed and was to be repaid after completion and certification by the client as specified by the contract agreement. But the contractor was issued an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) in November 2007 to start running in May 2008. The value of the ISPO issued in favour of the contractor was N248,923,076.98 and was to run for 34 months. This will come to a mind-boggling N8,463,384,617.28 at the end of its duration. Problem was that the contractor began receiving his payments well before he mobilised to site contrary to the spirit and letter of the agreement singed by the two parties – SNECOU and the government of Adamawa state.
Can the Nyako Publicity Office be courageous and magnanimous enough to “let the world” know who owns SNECOU? Who was responsible for their being in Yola? What is the relationship between the company and the then government? This way we will know what happened to projects they were supposed to execute as part of the total contract package that includes the Kiri Junction – Shelleng road.
So for anyone to accuse the Fintiri government of using the funds meant for projects that should be completed well before Fintiri became Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly is borderline lunacy. The people of Adamawa State are now wiser and more knowledgeable and therefore cannot fall for such cheap rhetoric. The revelations coming out of the Justice Bobbo Umar Judicial Panel of Inquiry is enough to make one run to the loo and puke. Anyone with a modicum of respectability and responsibility will rather hide his head in shame than think of ways to hoodwink the citizenry.
Our restraint should not be misconstrued for cowardice. We are just more decent than some.
Babayola Muhammadu Toungo,Principal Special Assistant to HE
