President Goodluck Jonathan, was in Kano yesterday when he took the political battle to the doorsteps of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, asking him to give accounts of over a quarter of a trillion naira being grants collected since 2011 on behalf of the state’s 44 Local Government Areas.
The President also restated the resolve of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to recover Kano State from Kwankwaso and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). Jonathan spoke at a unity rally organised by the PDP to welcome to their fold former governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who recently defected from APC to PDP.
The rally which took place the Polo Ground in the metropolitan area of the state amidst tight security was graced by thousands of party faithful, especially supporters of Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who lined the streets of the state capital to welcome President Jonathan.
Governor Kwankwaso had on Monday in a Government House statement, expressed regrets for allegedly voting for President Jonathan in 2011. His regrets, he said, was due to the failure of the administration to attend to the needs of Nigerians, while noting that the people of Kano would not welcome President Jonathan.
The state government equally matched word with action as neither the governor nor any other government functionary, as prescribed by protocol, was on ground at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport , Kano, to receive President Jonathan, whose entourage included Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
President Jonathan, who had rarely responded to some of the diatribes from the governor, shocked his audience when he decided to take on Kwankwaso. He said: “Kano people should call the 44 local government council chairmen and ask them what they have done in Kano State. Between June 2011 when we came into office and today, Kano Local Government Councils have received N255, 642,147,212.80.
The President accused Kwankwaso of collecting these monies and spending the funds to promote himself while lamenting that these monies were supposed, by law, to be used and spent by the local government chairmen and their councillors.
President Jonathan, who expressed bitterness at the spirited efforts of Kwankwaso to paint him black before the electorate in the state, asked the people: “If you have two uncles, one of them is giving you what is due to you, no matter how small it is and the other takes your money every month and spends it to promote himself. Who is the devil among two of them?”
The president also called Kwankwaso a liar, saying that it is not true that he, voted for him during the 2011 elections, either at the primaries or the general elections as he alleged.
Jonathan’s account: “When we entered Eagles Square, by the time the counting got halfway, when it was clear that I was to emerge as the candidate, Kwankwaso left the venue of the ceremony. If Kwankwaso had voted for me, he would have stayed on to celebrate with me like the other governors did.
President Jonathan again expressed his condolence to the families of Monday’s Nyanya bomb blast, stressing that the terrorists and their sponsors would never stop Nigeria from moving forward.
He also recalled the various projects that have been executed in Kano State by the Federal Government spanning from infrastructure, education to agriculture, adding that on agriculture alone, the Federal Government has invested so much to boast agriculture in the state such that the gains are already evident for all to see.
In his speech, Mallam Skekarau pledged his commitment and that of the new members who accompanied him to the PDP , saying that they would work ardently with the party to achieve the ideals of democracy, inclusion, fair play among other noble ideals of the party and the Nigeria state.
However, Gov. Kwankwaso fired back at the President, saying Jonathan was insensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians. He lamented that at a time when the nation should be mourning the Nyanya bomb explosion that left many either dead or injured, the President decided to embark on what he described as “merry-making trips.
“At a time when several innocent lives have been lost, when many of the victims are in hospitals seeking blood donations to survive, the President is gallivanting round the country in the name of PDP unity rally”, the governor contended.
The governor, who spoke in Hausa during the matriculation of students of Northwest University, Kano, at the Government House lawn, wondered why the President should be travelling aimlessly with taxpayers’ money, while the common man is being killed daily because of failure of the Federal government to adequately protect lives and property.
Kwankwaso chided the President for justifying, promoting, and sustaining and corruption, pointing out that despite the allegation of corruption against the Minister of Aviation and the alleged missing 20 billion USD oil funds, for instance, the President remained silent on such issues during his illegal campaign visit to Kano.
“The man came to Kano to smear our image but thank God, the man gave me free publicity by mentioning my name over 50 times in a 15 minute address”, the governor stated.
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