By Najib Sani
The Bauchi State commissioner of Planning, Shehu Ningi, blasted Governor Mohammed Abubakar for abuse of office, shortly after tendering his resignation from the cabinet.
He accused the governor of intimidating commissioners and making them rubber stamps in ratifying anticipatory approvals.
Addressing a press conference Thursday in Bauchi, Mr. Ningi said his plan to resign was mooted six months ago, but delayed it until “the complete preparation and subsequent presentation of the 2017 budget”.
Read the commissioner’s full statement.
“With reference to my appointment as a Commissioner in charge of the State Planning Commission and member of the State Executive Council which dates back to the 25th January, 2016, I wish to inform your Excellency of my decision to resign with immediate effect.
“My plan to resign is as old as six months. I kept on procrastinating and decided to shift it until the complete preparation and subsequent presentation of the 2017 budget, which successfully took place yesterday 21st. It is therefore timely for me to go with effect from today.
“As usual, i will not be hypocritical in stating my reasons for the resignation. They include but are not limited to the following:
“1. Absence of enabling environment to function effectively as a commissioner and member of the executive council. The principal function of all members of the executive council as a group and as individuals is advisory. This is a very important role in the provision of good leadership or governance but has been jettisoned by your excellency. As the chief executive of the state, you are the sole determinant of the enabling environment but regrettably, the environment has been unaccommodating, debilitating and non adviser friendly. In other words, your Excellency, you are the environment but since assumption of duty you have adopted a hostile, aggressive and intimidating posture which scares all and sundry from offering good, frank, sincere and honest advice. It appears your Excellency prefers to listen to illiterates and sycophants. The Executive Council is a mere rubber stamp ratifying anticipatory approvals only. Therefore, of what use is my commissionership if i cannot tell you the simple truth regarding anything and everything?
“2. Another factor instrumental to my departure is the unwarranted, unjustified and deliberate marginalization of myself and my supporters, which I shall call my group. The strength of my group and the immense contribution we rendered towards your victory in both primary and general elections have been deliberately underated and even forgotten. I consider this action as political genocide. That I as a prominent stake holder and a commissioner, but had no hand in the nomination of even a single councilor in the care taker committee of my local government area in spite of my numerous appeals to you, is a pointer to my political exclusion and a negation of the principles and practice of corresponding reciprocity.
“3. Another push factor towards my exit is the unnecessary and avoidable intra-party crises in APC in the state. I am sure your Excellency will recall vividly that I made my position clear that I didn’t support the crises right from the beginning because of its definite ugly consequences which would culminate in the woeful failure of the party at the polls in 2019.
“4. Among the few reasons that I wish to mention for my decision to resign is your Excellency’s apparent marginalization and relegation of the Ningi Emirate, part of which I democratically represent. This relegation relates to political appointments and the provision of development projects as exemplified by the recent award of contracts for the design and construction of some road projects across the state,” he said in the statement.
