ALIERO’S LEGACY IN KEBBI STATE
It has been quiet on the Kebbi State front. The agricultural exploits of rice farmers hit the headlines more than any other issue. Unfortunately, it seems the frustrated politicians and other disgruntled elements are bent on fouling the air in their preparations for 2019 elections. Evidence of their evil plan came to light when all of a sudden they targeted one of the most illustrious leaders of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero, for political blackmail and image smearing in the misguided belief that his emergence as first citizen of Kebbi State was responsible for their travails. This was the vogue more than a decade ago when he was Governor of the state but it ended in futility soon after. Now its sponsors are recycling their trashed vendetta by launching a discredited media campaign purportedly urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the ICPC to respond to an 11-year old petition of spurious allegations they concocted against Senator Aliero as governor.
It is worth recalling that out of frustration that their petition failed the credibility test of the agencies several years ago these same disgruntled detractors pursued their delusions to the obsessive extent of seeking court order to force the agencies to do their bidding by “prosecuting” Aliero! The Supreme Court expectedly dismissed their vain clamour, saying the agencies know best and cannot be stampeded. Since then it has been a humiliating acceptance of the futility of their frivolity which, contrary to their wishes, actually enhanced Aliero’s reputation for incorrigibility and stickler for due process in official transactions.
Even under the mudslinging attack of his detractors, Aliero fired a missile of self-confidence in his anti-corruption principles when he took the unprecedented step of officially inviting EFCC to investigate a huge financial scam he uncovered involving some of his commissioners. The ensuing investigation ended in prosecution of the cabinet members involved and their collaborators in the state civil service. This episode demonstrated the courage and conviction of Aliero as an uncompromisingly upright person who maintained such sterling qualities of God fearing honesty and integrity in public service where many got carried away to pilfer and plunder recklessly.
Abubakar Magaji Gwandu and Ibrahim Mohammed, Birnin Kebbi