By our correspondents
Outgoing and incoming governors are set to clash over last minute appointments and contracts and other decisions taken for the former ahead of the May 29 handover day, Premier Newspaper reports. Based on the outcome of governorship election held in March across 29 states, new governors emerged in 12 states, including some that defeated incumbents. The outgoing governors include Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa), Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (Bauchi), Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (Gombe), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara). Already, some incoming governors have promised to reverse decisions taken by the outgoing governors.
Adamawa
Last minute approvals and financial dealings have pitched the Adamawa governor-elect, PDP’s Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri against Bindow. Fintiri, while receiving the report of his transition committee on Saturday, vowed to “step on toes” over the debt profile of the state. “Posterity will not forgive us if we fail to ask the right questions about how a state that received a combined income of N332 billion is hopelessly neck deep in debt and has to take overdrafts to pay salary in the last four years,” he said. Fintiri had also on different occasion alleged arbitrary allocation of plots and approvals for people to build shops on the fence of Government Girls College Yola and Jimeta Modern Market. He told those who received the allocations to suspend construction work. However, an APC chieftain, Uba Dan-Arewa, said previous governments had allocated similar plots to associates and relied on bank overdraft to pay salaries.
Bauchi
Since the time Governor Abubakar of the APC lost his re-election bid to Senator Bala Mohammed of the PDP, there have been lots of drama. While commissioning a VIP lodge in Bauchi, the governor announced plans to buy 60 units of 18-seater buses at the cost of over N1.5bn. He said Yankari Transport Company will get 30 of them, while the 20 LGs in the state will receive one each, and the remaining 10 buses will be with the state government. Similarly, courts had stopped the planned award of over N4.5bn contracts by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and bills passed by the Bauchi State House of Assembly on repealing a law that gave government powers to recover looted public properties. Speaking through his spokesperson, Dr. Ladan Salihu, the governor- elect lamented that the outgoing administration was setting additional burden to the incoming administration.
Ogun
Amosun recruited and inducted 1,000 fresh employees into the civil service in the state; appointed 110 principals and 151 vice principals for secondary schools. Amosun had also promoted and sworn in 21 permanent secretaries; appointed management and Governing Councils for Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH) and Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, even though two institutions were yet to take off. Just last Monday, the governor promoted 75 Baales (village heads) to Coronet Obas, saying the promotion was in compliance with sub sections (1) and (2) of section 25 of Chiefs laws of Ogun State. But the Caretaker Committee of APC, through the Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, said the incoming governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun will review everything done Amosun.
Gombe
Few days to the end of his second tenure, Governor Dankwambo has been taking decisions and approving appointments. Dankwambo had in the last two months employed hundreds of teachers at SUBEB, civil servants and some academic and non-academic staff at the newly established Gombe State University of Science and Technology, Kumo, which admitted about 500 students amidst condemnation that Gombe cannot afford to run two state universities. Dankwambo had also in the last two weeks paid backlog of salaries and allowances to commissioners and hundreds of his political aides. Barr. Zubairu Mohammed Umar, who is the Director General in the office of governor- elect Inuwa Yahaya, warned against accepting any appointment from the outgoing government.
Kwara
There had been last minutes appointments by the out-going PDP government in the state led by Abdulfattah Ahmed. The recent appointment of Prof. Kenneth S. Adeyemi as Ag. VC for the Kwara State University, Malete, and sending of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah on terminal leave when his tenure was expected to end in July, had raised eyebrows. Also, the Kwara State House of Assembly recently passed many bills including the Law Prohibiting the in-coming governor from dissolving elected LG chairmen, Kwara United Management Bill, confirmation of chairman of Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, inauguration of House of Assembly Commission, confirmation of nominees for Kwara State Civil Service Commission, Kwara State Fiscal Responsibility Commission, bill for the Establishment of Kwara State Bureau of Hospital Management.
Imo
Governor-elect Emeka Ihedioha had accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of APC of ploys to frustrate his incoming administration. Okorocha had wanted his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu as successor. On March 18, Ihedioha accused Okorocha of withdrawing N17bn in three days. He also accused the outgoing governor of illegal employments and issuing back-dated land titles. On April 5, Okorocha inaugurated boards of 38 government agencies and parastatals that he dissolved upon assuming office in 2011. The governor also announced the establishment of six universities and two colleges of education. Four days ago, the governor leased out some of the 27 uncompleted general hospitals in the state to churches and some organisations. Media aide to the governor-elect, Chibuike Onyeukwu, said Ihedioha will review the actions taken.
Borno
Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, who will take over on Wednesday, had seized every opportunity to dismiss any possibility of undoing whatever Shettima did to the last minute. “My administration is an offshoot and continuation of Shettima administration.”
Yobe
Barely one week to handover, Governor Gaidam had appointed caretaker chairmen for LGs and approved N6bn for the upgrade of the Yobe International Cargo Airport which is under construction in the outskirt of Damaturu. Speaking, the spokesman of the outgoing governor, Abdullahi Bego said, the N6 billion additional funds that the executive council approved last Wednesday was the culmination of a process that began following the inspection visit by aviation experts who recommended upgrade of vital components like the runway, tower among others in line with international standard.
Zamfara
Governor Abdulaziz Yari assented to the bill passed by the Zamfara State House of Assembly on the creation of Bazai Emirate out of the present Shinkafi Emirate. The bill also seeks to upgrade the Senior District Head of Jangeru in Shinkafi to a third class Emir and Kayayen Mafara to a Senior District Head in Talata-Mafara Emirate. However, there was no new contract awarded by the government in recent times. Governor Yari who is rounding up his second term in office had failed in his bid to have a successor under the platform of APC.
Oyo
After the 2019 election which the ruling APC lost to PDP in Oyo, outgoing Governor Abiola Ajimobi approved funds for new projects and elevated many servants. He had approved full subvention for all the state owned tertiary institutions which he suspended over the years as a result of alleged lack of financial resources. Ajimobi also elevated 11 directors to Permanent Secretaries which was allegedly backdated to February; and also approved appointment of supervisory councillors for all LGs. The governor-elect, Seyi Makinde, alleged that LGs had been directed to spend all money in their care. Nasarawa
Governor Al-Makura was instrumental to the emergence Engr. Abdullahi Sule as governor-elect under the platform of APC. He recently elevated father of the governor-elect, Alhaji Sule Bawa from the District Head of Gudi to a 3rd class Chief. There is no any evidence that the administration had reviewed or awarded any contract in the winding days of the administration.
Lagos
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who lost his ticket for a second term to Babajide Sanwo-Olu under the platform of APC had not awarded any last -minute contract.
