CLC’s Diatribe on Baba Biri, Dankwanbo and Gombe governorship

Wednesday, 10 November 2010 00:23 E-mailPDF My attention has been drawn to an advertorial published on page 49 of Daily Trust Newspaper of Monday November 8, 2010 where a group that goes by the name Civil Liberties Concern, (CLC) Gombe Zonal Office reacted to a piece written by my friend Musa Madugu and published in a national daily with the title Baba Biri, Dankwanbo and Gombe Governorship. Let me start by saying that this piece is not set out to defend or campaign for Alhaji Baba Biri. I for one, I am confident that the man is capable of defending himself. All the same, for a group campaiging for the Accountant General of the Federation Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo to dismiss a whole Commissioner for Local Governments as inconsiquential is most undeserirable. While Civil Liberties Concern made frantic but unsuccessful efforts to discredit the person of Musa Madugu, a well- focused and honest crusader for accountability and best service delivery, as well as tell the world and Gombe people in particular why the Accountant General of the Federation Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo was eminently qualified to contest the governorship position in Gombe State, the group failed woefully to address the salient issues and questions raised by Musa Madugu in his write- up. According to CLC, the Accountant General of the Federation has a clean track record of achievements in his career and has taken measures to address the issue of corruption in line with government’s resolve to curb its menace in the system. CLC which claimed in paragraph two of their write- up to be the ones “promoting Dankwanbo’s candidature” also informed their readers that Dankwanbo has risen to become the President, Forum of Accountants General and Auditors General of West African Sub- Region and ended their wide goose chase by saying “That could be the reason why we deemed it necessary to invest our money, energy, precious time and other related resources” in support of the Accountant General’s political ambition. As “laudable” as the “efforts” of CLC in laundering the image of their benefactor could be seen to be, the group should have responded to the issues raised by Musa Madugu which include that Dankwanbo, the Accountant General of the Federation in charge of Nigeria’s finances and basically a civil servant, has not retired or resigned his post even as his political campaigns efforts are in full fling. Again, CLC failed to respond to Madugu’s observation that the Accountant General was now opening campaign offices in all parts of Gombe as well as purchasing and distributing houses, cars, rams and other booties to party stalwarts in the state to buy their loyalty. Since CLC claimed to be sponsoring Dankwanbo’s campaigns, the group should tell Gombe people and Nigerians whether they are the ones who are also funding the purchase of the houses, cars, rams and other materials which Dankwanbo is said to be distributing. Those signing for Civil Liberties Concern should next time reveal their true identities so that the public and relevant agencies would have the opportunity to check where they got the “resources” they are investing in Dankwanbo’s campaign including purchase and distribution of houses, cars, rams and other materials for their master. In line with the observations raised by Musa Madugu, I want to ask whether President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is aware that, a civil servant working directly under him has left his job from where he earns his salary and has been pursuing his political ambition without let or hindrance. Is it the President that gave him the permission? Is this the way the well publicized crusade for transparent elections will be achieved? These are some of the questions CLC should address. Most people in Gombe State know that Dankwanbo was a member of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) on which platform he served as the Accountant General of Gombe State under Governor Hashidu, a time that the resources of Gombe State were alleged to have been plundered, with no meaningful development recorded for all the period they were in office. Is this the same man that CLC is “sponsoring and funding” to become the successor of an achiever like Governor Danjuma Goje?