ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
The Board of Trustees and Elders of Tangale Community Development Association have accused the Gombe State Government of initiating and mishandling the succession of the new Mai Tangale which led to crisis in Billiri Local Government Area of the state.
They made the accusation while briefing journalists at the NUJ Secretariat in Bauchi on Thursday as part of their communique issued at the end of a joint meeting of the two groups.
A member of the Board of Trustees, Daniel Maddo, while responding to questions shortly after reading the text of the briefing, alleged that the Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, would not allow journalists in the state publish their plight, saying that was why they decided to come all the way to Bauchi to have the press conference.
He said: “This government has been, to us, the most difficult government we’ve ever had. Not only did they mishandle the succession to crisis, but we believe they initiated it. How? Last year around April or May, the Mai Tangale was reported to have contracted COVID-19.
“They insisted that they do a second test for him and that was two days after their so-called announcement of the result. They took it, the result turned out to be negative, we insisted on seeing the first report. they said was positive, but we saw it was negative.
“In the meantime, while he was in isolation, a media house, had gone ahead to publish on its online website, a story describing him as ‘the late Mai Tangale’. So, we took it that there was an attempt to kill the Mai Tangale. There were rumours all over, when he went to the hospital that he will not return, that someone else will be the Mai Tangale and that someone will be enthroned as the Mai Tangale.”
He also said that they have already filed a case in Court “where the most qualified person to be Chief Judge and who has even acted as Chief Judge , a woman, one Justice Beatrice Iliya, has been denied the position by the government.”
He added that they kept sending different lists but the National Judicial Council, “each time they send the list, will reject it and demand for the correct list with the most senior person.
“The most recent happened just some few weeks ago and the whole idea was for the government to pocket the judiciary. That is why we have to move here to Bauchi because initially we had press conferences in Gombe, but each time we have it, the government will go and muzzle the press.”
Maddo also alleged that the Gombe state government was using the compensation of those who lost properties in the Billiri crisis as a means to syphon government resources.
“The forum also observed with dismay the compensation paid by Government in respect of properties lost to the tune of over Five Hundred Million (N500,000,000.00) to owners of stalls burnt during the mayhem.
“It was clearly established at the Commission of Enquiry set up by Government that all the stalls belong to the local government save for twelve (12) owned by the Pangurus but hired to mainly non-indigenes.
“Video evidence presented by the State/Muslim Counsel also showed that most of these non-indigenes had packed their goods from the stalls before they were burnt,” he said.
He added that most disturbing and unheard of in governance was the resolve by the State Government that “80% of the bill for this compensation would be borne by Billiri Local Government.
“In effect therefore the Government of Gombe State under HE Inuwa Mohammed Yahaya had found the people of Billiri local Government guilty before receiving the report of his own Commission of Enquiry!!! and given them collective punishment.
“Equally disturbing is the over bloated compensation was paid which was not commensurate with the loses incurred. Indeed, we learned that some few honest individuals was said among the business community were said to have rejected the over bloated compensation. In short, the exercise was intended to plunder the resources of Billiri LGA.”
Maddo called on the State Government, to know that “the Holy Book in Isaiah 53:1 says “Woe to you who plunder, though you have not been plundered; and you, who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered. When you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you all who have been involved in this scheme, shall be visited with God’s retribution unless they repent and pay a recompense.”
Also speaking, a former deputy governor of Gombe state, Charles Iliya, accused the governor of not abiding by his promises to the people and to the late Chief’s widow of agreeing to anybody they chose.
He said: “After the election, so many people contested but only three people got votes, the first person got 5 votes while the remaining two got 2 votes each. Naturally, and in accordance with what the governor had said earlier, it was clear on who won.
“Our tradition doesn’t allow a situation where you submit three names of people, every community has its own tradition and ours is known. But above that, the governor decided to form a committee and this has never happened in the state or anywhere.
“He formed the committee with the deputy governor as Chairman and it was assumed that was to intimidate the people even though that vote went through. People were waiting and we expected him to act in accordance with what he said earlier that whosever we choose, he will give him. The delay in the announcement even created the problem that took place in Billiri.”
Iliya said that the governor ordered the elders to meet and resolve the differences and “it was while we were still meeting that the government announced the new Mai”.
In a swift reaction, the Director General of Media and Information, Gombe State, Samaila Misilli, told journalists in a telephone interview that the allegations were ‘baseless’, saying the issue of the Mai Tangale has been trashed out in the past.
Samaila said that “all these issues have been trashed before. The issue of who emerged as the Mai has been trashed. The Governor made the decision based on the extant law of the land which allows him to choose from among the three candidates submitted to him. So, whatever he has done bad has passed.”
He said that the government won’t engage in contempt of court as much as the case is in the court.
Misilli said that the compensation formula for the Billiri crisis was approved by the State Executive Council. “That was done to those who lost their lives, property, places of worship and the rest.
“The report of the panel of inquiry was submitted yesterday (Wednesday) where it was confirmed that over 90 per cent of the victims have been settled. There is also a standing committee on that, though the report has not been made public.
“The issue of not allowing them to have their press conference in Gombe is also baseless because in Gombe, pressmen are free. They are free to do their constitutional work without any interference.”
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