Politics

Ex-Governor Shema urges Katsina people to oust successor in 2019

Shema

Former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema has called on citizens of the state to vote out his successor, Aminu Beĺlo Masari, in the coming election, insisting that he has demonstrated lack of capacity to effectively govern the state.

Shema also urged his successor not to drag him into the internal wrangling of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Shema, in a statement signed by his media team, accused the incumbent administration in the state of demonstrating clear “lack of capacity for good governance”.

The statement which was signed by Oluwabusola Olawale was in response to a statement credited to Governor Aminu Bello Masari in a rejoinder by one Muhammed Sani.

In the said statement, Governor Masari was said to have disclosed that he inherited the sum of N4 billion from former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s administration.

But Shema said the claim was a falsehood of the highest order and insisted that he left the sum of N14 billion in the coffers of the state as at May 29, 2015 when he handed over.

“We are glad that he admitted over N4 billion was inherited by his administration. While we will not like to join issues with an administration that has demonstrated clearly lack of capacity for good governance,

we make bold to state that the sum of over N14 billion was left in the coffers of both Katsina State government and local government as at May 29, 2015.

“If Governor Aminu Bello Masari believes otherwise we challenge him to publish the certified bank account statements of state government accounts, Ministries, Departments and Agencies

as well as the 34 local governments as at May 29, 2015 to be duly signed by the Bank Manager of the respective Banks to be investigated by the EFCC, instead of brandishing figures on the pages of newspapers.”

Shema also faulted claims by the state government that it inherited debt incurred by his administration stating that throughout the eight years of his administration, no amount was borrowed as loan from any source.

He challenged his successor to “wake up and realise that the people are not fools” stressing that “without mincing words, Masari’s administration remains clueless, deceitful.

Continuing, Shema said “and Katsina State people should not hesitate to throw him out of office in 2019”.

Patrick Okohue

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