From Maiharaji Altine
The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it has been vindicated, following the immediate redeployment of some directors of the Zamfara state Ministry of Finance as well as the state Deputy Accountant General over the exposed N1.3 billion memo on bandits’ funding.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, the APC Publicity Secretary Alhaji Yusuf Idris said, the state government under the ministry of finance has redeployed all those allegedly involved in the exposure of the leaked memo to checkmate future occurrence of such incident.
The statement reads in parts as follows:-
“A special posting/ redeployment circular back dated with reference number HOS/Z/844/VOL 3 and signed by the state acting Head of Service, Ahmad Aliyu Liman conveying the decision of the state executive council to the sacked ten directors of the state treasury and the subsequent appointment of their replacement with immediate effects” .
“Those appointed include:- Idris Bawa as Deputy Accountant General, Aminu Musa Gusau, Sub Treasuser, Isah Garba Nasarawa Godel Director as director expenditure control”.
Other officers transferred are, Usman Ibrahim Maru Director Salary, Shehu Balarabe Anka, Director Funds, Dayyabu Aliyu, Director incorporated, Altine Yunusa, Director Internal control, Aliyu Ibrahim Zurmi, Director Main Account, Kabiru Garba, Director Programs and Shehu A. Daki Takwas, Deputy Director Salary”.
“They were redeployed with the sole aim of blocking any further release of sensitive documents from the state Ministry of Finance”.
Idris further explained that, “This action follows the recent exposure of a document allegedly from the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Mallam Abubakar Nakwada who was said to have signed it”.
“The state government has reassigned its senior finance officers to checkmate further embarrassment”.
“The official document which was believed to have emanated from the SSG was however denied by the state chapter of the PDP (not the government) who believed that the SSG would not have done it but blamed the opposition APC for it”.
Idris stressed that, members of the APC were now happy to have been vindicated for saying that the state government might have cooked up the memo in order to divert the attention of the citizens over the administration’s failure to meet its campaign promises.
He maintained that by accusing the APC over the memo, the government thought people would be blaming the opposition.
“Shockingly having realized that one of its workers who may have the believe that paying criminals and certain journalists that may be working with and for the government isn’t right, blew out the secret”. Said Idris.
According to him, what the state government was doing was just a fire brigade approach to contain the crisis so far generated, while at the same time removing those believed to have exposed the letter.
This clearly shows that the memo in circulation has elements of truth as the government removes all the directors.
Idris concluded that, the APC would be waiting anxiously to see the next step to be taken by the state government since their hidden agenda has been revealed.
They should know the blood of the innocent souls will never allow them to rest .
But in a sharp reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and communications Mustafa Jafaru Kaura said, the APC Publicity Secretary Alhaji Yusuf Idris has displaced his ignorance as someone who did not understand government’s activities and programs.
Kaura stated that, Idris should not have linked the transfer of the staff of the state ministry of finance with the recent purported N1.3 billion memo which was said to have come from the office of the Secretary to the state government.
He said, “This has really indicated that, Idris does not understand that the ministry of finance is not controlling the State Security Trust Fund, as such, the recent transfer of the directors of finance has nothing to do with the purported memo which the APC has done in order to smear the good image of our Governor”.
“He should now understand that, the state’s Security Trust Fund is an independent body and is not under the ministry of finance”.
“Even if that memo which they created to tarnish Governor Dauda Lawal’s reputation is true, it would not make the ministry of finance to transfer its staff to avoid future occurrence of this incident as he stated”.
Kaura maintained that, the recent transfer of the staff of the ministry of finance was a normal procedure which has been in existence in all sectors of the economy.
He said, “The transfer of staff is a normal procedure and is not synonymous with the ministry of finance only”.
“It’s a routine duty of every ministry to transfer its staff to other places more especially if they have been in their positions for a long period of time”.
“So what is the problem with the recent transfer of the directors of finance if Mr Idris and his likes are not being mischievous or illiterates?
Kaura also declared that, Yusuf Idris was not in a position to speak on behalf of the APC in the state since the party was now divided into four factions.
“He is not fit to defend the state chapter of the APC because the party is now divided into four factions”.
“Everyone knows that, APC has Sani Jaji faction, Matawalle faction, Kabiru Marafa faction and Senator Abdul Aziz Yari faction”.
“So I don’t know which of the factions he belongs”. Concluded Kaura.
