Congratulations to H.E Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on his coasting to victory at the 2023 Adamawa governorship election, it was a well-deserved one. We equally, also use this medium to congratulate former vice president Atiku Abubakar, his outing at the February 25th presidential election was heartwarming and it promoted more unity in Adamawa state
We the people of Jimeta have always shown our love, commitment, and admiration for fairness and respect for constituted authorities, especially the government and the governor of the day
Some people were surprised that Atiku Abubakar won Jimeta massively in the presidential election, but His Excellency Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri didn’t get the same votes. Why? That is the big question, because in 2019, when Fintiri was not even in the office as governor, he won Jimeta comfortably, but now with massive infrastructure in the Jimeta, youth employment, and respect for our elders and leaders, including the position of commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs, board appointments and the all-important SSG position, Jimetans turned their back against the PDP in the March 18th, 2023 Governorship election, despite massively supporting the party in the February 25rth 2023 presidential election.
The only reason why H.E. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri lost Jimeta, is his SSG – Mallam Bashir Ahmed, period! Bashir has turned himself into a destroyer of the Fintiri government in Jimeta. Prior to the Governorship election, he openly and with pride told anyone that want to hear, that all the Jimeta-community critical stakeholders are not important, and that he will deliver Jimeta without any of them. Well, the stakeholders resolved that, since they have done their best and delivered Jimeta to PDP in the presidential election, it’s good now they allow Bashir to also show his political strength and try his luck in Jimeta. Bashir didn’t only lose the entire local government council to the APC, but he lost his ward and polling unit. Some people were surprised that, Bashir that has brought a new road to Benue street and the adjacent roads in his ‘claimed’ ward – Ajiya, but they refused to vote for his party, well arrogance, disrespect to people, and boastfulness are the reasons. Secondly, Jimeta people are cosmopolitans and regard people from all works of life as their friends, but everybody knows that Bashir is not an indigene of Jimeta, he is originally Nupe from Niger state, in fact, with a million dollars; Bashir cannot show his father’s or paternal grandfather’s house in Jimeta. Well, that is not the only issue, Jimeta always feel insulted- this is a man that is benefiting from the quarter, honestly allocated to them by the Fintiri government to appreciate their support, but Bashir has insulted everyone in Jimeta including elders and critical stakeholders from all the political divides.
Sometimes back, when one of the critical stakeholders realized that, If Bashir is presented as the focal point for Jimeta in the Fintiri government, Jimeta people will rebel against the PDP, thus a meeting was convened to resolve any grievance. The leadership of the Fintiri campaign team led by Awwal Tukur and Felix Tangwami was contacted to attend, they invited Bashir to be part of the meeting, but he boldly told them he will not attend the meeting because he is just managing the stakeholders. We were aware of the meeting convened by Bashir and his boys at Bashir’s residence, Bashir boasted that once he come back for his second tenure, which is an accomplished one, he will deny Government House Yola access to all Jimeta critical stakeholders and he will deal with. But imagine, less than 10% of Jimeta stakeholders frequent the Govt. House. They only seek an audience with the Governor only when there is a need for it. Bashir also forgets that the Jimeta people never know him, before the coming of the Fintiri government. It was Gov Fintiri that brought him to the limelight, and now he wants to put the people against Governor Fintiri. Bashir is eager to go back to his position as SSG in Fintiri’s second term. Some people have accused him of mismanagement of resources through kickbacks on consultancy fees for the government contract. Some people are even threatening to release a dossier on Bashir to the EFCC for proper investigation. Though, it is still allegations.
Bashir has done more harm in Jimeta to the Fintiri government than any other person inside or outside the Fintiri administration. Imagine the massive infrastructure work that the Fintiri government sited in Jimeta, but the people still voted against the PDP in the governorship election. In fact, what Bashir did was purely anti-party, – first, he brought a core APC member as Yola North PDP chairman, facilitated the election of another core APC man as the local government chairman, Bashir financially supported the SDP candidate for the state house of assembly, finally he makes sure Jimeta critical stakeholders were infuriated from working for Fintiri, thinking that without them, he alone will have all the glory, but in the end, he wounded the PDP in Jimeta. Had it been that Governor Fintiri got the votes he was supposed to get in Jimeta, the 18th March Adamawa Governorship election would not have been declared inconclusive. Jimeta would have been the winning joker for Fintiri.
Governor Fintiri being young and a development enthusiast, should be surrounded by and with people who bring people to him, but not people that repels people. People are blessings, critical stakeholders are very important and elders are guidance.
Gov . Fintiri has more to offer not only to Adamawa, but Nigeria, so for his political future, he should have people who ordinary citizens appreciate and love, not people like Bashir, who even people close to him are just there. And, Fintiri will love to have the opportunity to effortlessly bring a successor, so he doesn’t need such controversies being perpetuated by Bashir Ahmed. Because of this kind of attitude and behavior by Bashir, Fintiri will find it difficult to bring many people on board in 2027.
Our advice to Governor Fintiri is, if he decides to again allocate the SSG position to Yola-North, Mallam Bashir Ahmed should be out of the equation, a bonafide Jimetan who is accommodative, respects elder and know the importance of stakeholders should be appointed, or the position should be taken elsewhere.
Ahmed Buba Jimeta
For Concerned Citizens of Jimeta
