Recently, a piece titled ‘UNVEILING THE TRUE FACES BEHIND THE SO-CALLED PDP PRESSURE GROUP IN YOLA NORTH’, went viral in Adamawa State on some social media platforms. The piece contained wild claims, personal attacks, and outright lies against Madugu Rockview Hotels, its owners, to achieve a political goal. The piece also ridiculously tagged some illustrious sons of Yola-North as ‘So-Called Pressure Group’
Pressure groups are an important sociopolitical part of every modern society. They ease civic engagement and communal action; they bear the faces of various demands — be it political, economic, communal, or social — by the citizenry. Pressure groups don’t fight individuals nor make claims based on very little or no evidence. Rather they encourage policymakers and the government to do the right thing in the interest of the community the pressure groups represent.
So, accusing a certain pressure group in Jimeta of fighting the Governor of Adamawa State Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the SSG Mallam Bashir Ahmed, and other members of the Adamawa state government from Yola-North, and at the same time, denting the image of PDP Presidential candidate, the Wazirin Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar — is nothing but misleading and a jejune.
The aim of their piece was to tarnish the image of some important sons of Jimeta- Yola-North, all in the name of politics. However, the people of Jimeta have a history of defending their own, when it is clear there is an attempt to soil their reputation.
Since the authors of the piece- SSG Mallam Bashir Ahmed and his ‘boys’ damned the consequences of opening any can of worms, this writer did some fact-checking on the claims they made. The claim that Alhaji Musa Garba, the CEO of Madugu Commercial and Construction Company benefitted from a wholesome project of about 199 million and 198 million Naira, executed in Adamawa State University, Mubi, is untrue. Findings revealed that Alhaji Musa Garba and 2 other people bought the contracts with their hard-earned money; 68 million Naira each, it was never given to them as stated. The records are there to be verified, including the names of the person that sold the contract and the person that collected the money on behalf of the seller. If names are mentioned, it will be not only shocking to the public, Bashir should lose his plum job in the Fintiri government. It appears, that the SSG, Bashir Ahmed doesn’t know his job, by exposing government confidential matters. We thought that people like Alh. Musa Garba has been working and doing things on behalf of Fintiri but never told it to the public.
Furthermore, the claim that Alhaji Musa Garba received payment for the contract for furnishing Lodge JI, Government House Yola, to the tune of 461 million Naira is untrue. Actually, he was asked to pay Julius Berger the sum of 260 million from the contract sum, leaving him with only 200 million Naira, which was paid to him in batches for nearly 3 years. It is interesting to know that, the contract was awarded to Alh. Musa Garba by Former Governor Muhammad Umaru Bindow, but Governor Fintiri revoked the contract via the Adamawa state government letter dated August 16th, 2019. Governor Fintiri knows he will occupy the House, thus, he personally negotiated with Julius Berger for all the supplies. And, it was the feeling of ‘self-shame, the contract was returned to Alh. Musa Garba, but the profit intentionally ‘eroded’, to the gain of Julius Berger.
The claim that Alhaji Audu Gombi, PDP Central Zonal Chairman, was awarded a contract worth 63.2 million, was not true- The rural electrification contract was awarded to him during the tenure of Governor Boni Haruna. Yes, Fintiri paid him, but without any variation, after 23 years. The claim on Alh. Abba Mallam Babba was also false- the contract worth 75 million Naira was awarded to four of them to share – Alh. Abba Mallam Babba. Alh. Umaru Liman, Alh, Musa Chalyes and Wandala. The same applied to the contract given to Sabo Bamanga- it was given to four of them. In fact, the Adamawa state government still owes Alh. Musa Garba 70 million Naira in hotels bills, 40 million Naira for the renovation of the presidential lodge, and another amount for the pavement of way to the entrance of lodge j1 in the government house Yola.
Apparently, SSG Bashir Ahmed and his Boys are confused. They claimed that the pressure group is out to fight Governor Fintiri while benefiting from the same Fintiri’s government. They credited projects executed by former Governor Boni Haruna 23 years ago to Governor Fintiri, who is on a collision course with the former? Fintiri’s government is the worst in the history of Adamawa in terms of accommodating people that worked for its emergence. What are these amounts of monies compared to the sacrifices these individuals did for Fintiri during the 2019 governorship elections? These people spend a lot of their resources and energies campaigning for Fintiri. For instance, Alh Musa Garba bought cars and spend almost 4 months in Yola campaigning for Fintiri, house to house.
Some people in the Fintiri government need to go back and study what former governors Boni Haruna, Murtala Nyako, and acting Governor James Barka did to ‘cement’ their political parties, the government, stakeholders, and the ordinary people
Alhaji Musa Garba, Yayaji Audu Gombi, Umaru Liman, Abba Mallam Babba, Sabo Bamanga, etc. are illustrious sons of Jimeta, everyone knows their fathers’ and grandparents’ houses in Jimeta- tagging them as a pressure group is even demeaning, they are the faces of Jimeta, they always stand where Jimeta stands, and Jimeta always stands where they stand. Jimeta has been magnanimous. In the Fintiri government, there are persons holding high positions allocated to Yola-North, but those people cannot show you their fathers’ or grandparents’ houses in the entire Jimeta. A good example is SSG Bashir Ahmed, who is currently holding a plum position allocated to Yola-North, in the Fintiri government. He is claiming his maternal uncle’s house in Jimeta in Benue Street as his father’s. Nigeria is not Ghana.
In a sheer display of juvenile ignorance, Bashir Ahmed and his boys; apart from attacking Alh. Musa Garba, they went on to attack his businesses – a business that is beyond Adamawa state. Madugu Hotels as a private organization has petitioned the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the alleged electricity theft and the 7 million Naira imposed on it as a fine. NERC, in its response, said Madugu Hotel’s complaint has MERIT and has been admitted to the “Forum’ for resolution. Thus, the affected DISCO has been notified. In fact, reliable sources have indicated that the Hotel will sue the DISCO responsible for the allegation and fine if no punitive measure is taken against it by NERC. And, for allowing one of its staff, Mahmud Sajo for giving out customers’ information to third parties for political gains. It was found out that, Mahmud Sajo, a brother to Member Representing Yola-North, Hamidu Sajo Lekki, used his position as a staff in the DISCO, to give out Madugu Rockview Hotels documents with the DISCO to Hamidu Sajo for SSG Bashir’s use.
On the issue of tax evasion, did SSG Bashir and his boys care to check with tax offices including Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to confirm whether Madugu groups or its owners pay taxes and levies? How do you expect a private firm to survive and keep growing for over 40 years, and yet evade taxes? Madugu groups established in the 1980s operate beyond Adamawa state- it’s a Nigerian company.
Many people, not in Adamawa state alone, but in the entire north, are thrilled with the setting up in Jimeta, along Galadima Aminu Way, one of the most beautiful campaign offices for Atiku Abubakar for his 2023 presidential bid. Alhaji Musa Garba singlehandedly paid the 25 million Naira for the office rent and people like Abdu Dollar, Ambassador Jameel Waziri, and others who contributed must be commended. Atiku Abubakar is happy about this office no doubt it- because he is urbane and a man for all.
If the likes of Alh. Musa Garba, Alh, Yayaji Audu Gombi, Alh, Umaru Liman, Alh. Abba Mallam Babba, Alh. Sabo Bamanga, and other Jimeta people are fighting Gov. Fintiri or don’t recognize him as the PDP leader in Adamawa, then why did they adorn Governor Fintiri’s posters and banners in the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign office in Jimeta? These people are polished politically & socially, and are doing it for their community and their people!
Calling on these ‘big’ supporters of Atiku and the PDP to remove the posters and banners of Governor of Adamawa State Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, pasted at the stunning Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Office in Jimeta is not only third-rate politicking but deridingly simplistic and childish. SSG Bashir Ahmed and his boys should by themselves remove Governor, Fintiri’s posters and banners if they think that Governor Fintiri does not need the support of Yola-North or that of its certain eminent sons.
Alh. Musa Garba, Alh, Yayaji Audu Gombi, Alh, Umaru Liman, Alh. Abba Mallam Babba, Alh. Sabo Bamanga etc. still hold Governor Fintiri with high esteem, and, they see Atiku and Fintiri as one, being in the same party, After all, Atiku has solicited their support for Fintiri.
Aliyu Aliyu
Jimeta, Yola-North
Adamawa State
