The essence of politics anywhere in the world is to create happiness for the people towards their socio-economic and political advancement. Whatever politics one plays or chooses to play, there should be an application of truth, fairness and element of sincerity of purpose. These are very important if one is desirous to achieving success in one's endeavours. Unfortunately, this moral rectitude does not seem to exist in the world of a pompous leader who leads by tiptoeing and castigating men of conscience and integrity just to create false impression in the minds of the gullible subject. This brings us to the kind of dirty politics and false impressions the second coming of Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Kano State Governor has created, judging from his bad beginning.
In his first coming, Kwankwaso used a chunk part of his administration, fighting his subjects especially the civil servants in the state. He hated the so called non-indigenes, even though the governor himself has maternal history of being an outsider. He sacked many civil servants from the government work under the guise of rationalization. At least, over 7000 workers were laid off during his first coming. This number represented ten dependants per worker, meaning that, at least, 77,000 people of Kano state were deprived of their source of livelihood by a single interest. He relegated the traditional leaders to the background through his pomposity and disrespect to constituted authority. The very few political roads Kwankwaso managed to undertake immediately went down the drain as soon as he left the office in May 2003 because such ill conceived roads were haphardly done to score cheap political goal, which did not still help him in any way. Kwankwaso created congestions within the urban centres through his unpopular carve outs and lack of town planning. The so called free feeding he claimed to have provided for school pupils became source of discomfort to them.
The only legacy, if any, Kwankwaso left behind in 2003 was the encouragement of restive youths popularly called "Dandaba", which he trained and has sustained till date for their self destruction. It is these idlers that have now been transformed into the so called Kwankwasiyya sect. All these factors contributed immensely to Kwankwaso's rejection in 2003 and 2007. When his deviant political party, PDP led by his deviant godfather Obasanjo gave Kwankwaso Minister of Defence, his poor record on how he raped the Ministry through sale of scrapped military jets, which he converted for his personal use abounds. This was after he walloped billions of the Kano state ecological funds that indicted him of high level corrupt practices, leading to the adoption of the state white paper against him.
It is however lamentable that a person of the above dirty political profile could be allowed by the good people of Kano to manipulate his way and hoist himself on the people as their leader. Since Kwankwaso assumed office after his contentious victory as governor of Kano state on 29th of last month, he has been chasing shadows and acting holier than thou as if he has anything to offer to the good people of Kano state; whereas, his main agenda for his second coming is to create animosity and ill feelings among the people on the basis of vengeance and self interest so that he can further truncate Kano into economically and politically backward state. It should be recalled that few days to the exit of Kwankwaso from office after his shameful and woeful defeat, his government quickly allocated 1000 pieces of land at Zawaciki without due process of the law and also gave out huge number of motor bike for Achaba riders based on political loyalty. There was no hue and cry over them. It is therefore very funny that the same man who perfected these acts is now singing different songs after his eight years in limbo. Is what is good for the goose is not also good for the gander? Indeed, as Kwankwaso himself pointed out in one of his desperate interviews with Journalists, "a man who lives in a glass house should not throw stone." Why is Kwankwaso now throwing stone beats one's imagination?
It is an open secret that Kwankwaso has had grudges against the former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau for defeating him twice in 2003 and 2007 governorship contest and rightly indicting him for his rape of the state ecological fund. Kwankwaso desperately wants to get his own pond of flesh. It is therefore not surprising that as soon as opportunity availed him, having been 'elected' as the governor of the state, he found it expedient to embark on ill-feelings against what he considers as interest of his target, thereby making a mounting out of a molehill.
As we know, a leader who means well for his subjects does not fight what is meant for the well being of his subjects. The rate at which Governor Kwankwaso hurriedly revoked the plots of land allocated to people by the immediate past administration is highly suspicious. The conversion and re-naming projects solidly executed by former governor Shekarau is an indication that Kwankwaso has no progressive agenda for the people of Kano state. We should however not forget that power is sweet but it can be very destructive if it is not morally handled by any one who considers him-self wise enough to lead. This is why one thinks that Kwankwaso should mind his own business by embarking on projects that are people-oriented and not by making white-goose chase.
One thing the people of Kano will continue to remember Kwankwaso's immediate predecessor, Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau of, is the peace and tranquility he brought to the state, knowing full well that without peace, progress can never be achieved. But, just less than a month Kwankwaso assumed office, Kano people are already in doubt of the governor's ability to achieve similar feat by Shekarau administration. For instance, Kwankwaso's inaugural ceremony cum dinner started with crisis when his supporters pull down Kano Government House gate and vandalized the beautiful offices built by Shekarau administration and attempted to return it to the shamble nature Kwankwaso left it eight years ago. At the inauguration of the State Assembly, Kwankwaso's boys made the inauguration hells lose. During the swearing in of the local government officers, it was another show of strength. Within just few weeks, Kwankwaso was stoned at a local government. The question now on the lips of Kano people is that is this really the man they voted for?
It is also on record that within two weeks of Shekarau's takeover in 2003, he had recorded modest achievements in human and structural development, which kept the people, assured that a messiah had arrived. Shekarau maintained this tempo till the last day he completed his two tenures as allowed in the constitution. It is almost a month Kwankwaso came into the saddle. Till date, he has not made any clear blueprint on how he hopes to administer the most populous commercial state in Nigeria. Rather, the man is busy executing vengeance to satisfy his inordinate selfish ambition. He was recently quoted to have been to the Lagos State Governor Fashola to learn from the way he administers the state. If after ruling Kano State for four years, between 1999 and 2003, Kwankwaso is still learning the administrative pattern of governance, it is very unfortunate and tragic for Kano people if their present governor is still the one to govern them for the next four years. It is no wonder that he appointed a man who has never been in civil service as Head of Civil Service before he reversed the unpopular appointment. Likewise the appointment of his two media aides, which he carried out based on their common qualification that they are common detractors of Shekarau administration.
Indeed, no one can deny the hypocritical role of Jaafar Jaafar against Shekarau administration, using his former employer, Daily Trust as subterfuge to emit his venoms; while the immediate past General Manager of Freedom Radio was also using his medium to execute partisanship. With their present appointments as Director and Assistant Director of Press in Kwankwaso government, it is clear that these two media aides of Kwankwaso were merely plotted in the two media to deliberately attack Shekarau led ANPP administration and to pave way for the emergence of Kwankwaso led PDP government. By this act of commitment, it means that all their publications and broadcast about Shekarau administration in their former media before the April 2011 elections are nothing but expression of partisan politics and have no iota of truth. These are the tragedies of Kwankwaso's second coming.
Aliu Ibrahim Aliu
Email: aliuibrahimaliu@yahoo.com
Kano City, Kano.
18th June 2011
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