WHO IS RIGHT ON KWANKWASO, DANKANO OR ALIU?

I had the privilege to read the piece written by one Aliu Ibrahim Aliu published in the Daily Trust of 24th June 2011 and the rejoinder of one Auwal A.Dankano in the same paper of 27th June 2011. Having gone through the two articles, I should think that I owe it a duty to make the following input in the points made by the two writers. I therefore wish to state that the points made by Aliu Ibrahim Aliu are as clear as they are basically of the truth.

In spite of Dankano's futile attempt to blur readers with the fact about his principal, he ends up creating more damning facts and concurring with what Aliu stated. Indeed, Auwal Dankano wants to make us believe that all is well with his governor Kwankwaso whereas it is not. Without taking much of the readers' time, permit me to put the following questions about the claims of Dankano on Governor Kwankwaso.

One if the primary election that made Kwankwaso a candidate was not fraudulent and skewed, why was the election annulled by the National Executive Council of PDP and asked for the rerun of the election before time could not permit it. Secondly, what brought about the white paper against Kwankwaso is very clear. He diverted the billions of the Kano State ecological funds to personal use. Kwankwaso has not denied this fact. He only faulted the process of his indictment.

It became a matter of politics for PDP led Federal Government to Shield Kwankwaso from punishment of his corrupt practices under the garb of the so called review of the state white paper that nailed Kwankwaso in his first term in office. If this is the case, what moral justification does Kwankwaso has to threaten any one of probe when he was probed and indicted but used the corrupt Federal might to get away with it.

We should not forget in hurry that he who go for equity must go with clean hands. Kwankwaso's hands are not in any way clean to exhibit all sorts of things he does as governor of the most populous state today. This is why his return as governor is highly questionable. It is true of Aliu Ibrahim Aliu assertion that Kwankwaso did not adopt procedure but vengeance in the revocation of Kofar Naisa land already allocated to people by the immediate past administration. The physical presence of Kwankwaso at the venue of destruction of erected structure at midnight is a testimony of vendetta. This clearly portrays the governor as desperate, vengeful and a Portia who was eager to have his own pond of flesh.

The argument posited by Auwal A. Dankano and his ilk that the allocation of the affected land was done in hurry is not tenable because there were many other actions perfected by the past administration towards the end of its tenure, which the governor did not make the hue and cry about. It is however on record and Aliu Ibrahim Aliu hinted his readers in his educative piece that few days to Kwankwaso exit in 2003, he named the vexed ICT Park as Ado Bayero House. What can Dankano say about this if timing of action is any thing to go by?

I quite agree with Auwal A. Dankano that it has been the tradition of incoming governments to constitute transition committee but that of Kwankwaso went beyond

the so called implementation of campaign promises. Did Kwankwaso make promise during his campaign that he would check the hotel bills of his predecessor? Therefore, the big noise about the hotel bills is a clear demonstration of witch hunting and unsuccessful plan to blackmail his predecessor, because of hatred and vaulting ambition for vengeance.

The Kano people clearly saw the wise use of their money in the construction of economically vibrant roads, enhancement of health and education facilities, structural and human developments, agricultural and trade improvements, increase in supply of water consumption, upgrading of government infrastructures, etc. This explains why Shekarau administration was allowed to continue for second term without break or having to wait for eight years before manipulating his way back to the saddle through hook and crook as in the case of present government.

In fact, the editorial of Daily Trust of 24th June 2011 also vindicated the points adduced by Aliu Ibrahim Aliu in his write up, "should Kwankwaso seek to 'correct' right policies?"Dankano and his type should take note of the fact that Kwankwaso has since lost touch with governance of Kano and that all is now out to do is to continue witch hunting as he has virtually nothing tangible to offer to the good people of Kano State.

Usman Aminu Sani wrote from No. 101, Zaria Road, Kano, email: [email protected].