The N565million Story About Bauchi State Governor-Elect

by Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde
(Member/Secretary, Transition Committee of the Governor-Elect, Bauchi State).

My attention has been drawn to a publication by this newspaper 247 reports.com titled "Bauchi State Pays Gov-Elect N565million". My name is referred to in the article as having collected over N500 million and transferred it to the account of the Governor-Elect.

Both assertions, I hereby assure the public, are false. The Governor-Elect didn't travel at the expense of government. Only the police escort were paid an allowance of N3,000 per day, each. If this newspaper wants to know how much the committee actually collected from government, it can approach the SSG at the Government Bauchi or meet me at the secretariat of the Transition Committee. The amount we collected has remained in my custody as the Secretary of the comittee and is being utilised in accordance with our budget and strictly according to existing regulations in the state government. I will account for it fully at the end of our assignment.

This is all I can say regarding the accusation. I am not in a position, however, to know how much was withdrawn from government coffers in the name of the Governor-Elect by somebody in government. May be someone in the present government did withdraw N565 million in the name of the Governor-Elect and our committee. It's possible, given what governance has turned out to be today in the country. And may be not. I don't know. Only after May 29 can our own side will be able to tell.

However, the CASH brought and kept in my custody at the Bank is what I know, just a tiny fraction of the purported figure and less than half of what the Transition committee of the present administration used in 2007. My representative signed the delivery note for it from the chap that brought it from the SSG's office. If there is any cuwa cuwa somewhere, neither myself nor the Governor Elect would know about it. The serving SSG is in the best position to clear the air. Or the public can choose to be patient until after May 29 when the Governor-Elect assumes office. Then we will be in a position to say exactly how much was withdrawn.

We assure the people of Bauchi State that we are discharging our duty to them with full sense of responsibility. If anyone is jittery about our exercise, please let him or her be rest assured that we are not here to victimise anyone... We are only taking an inventory of governance in the state. We shall treat each case on its own merit and follow the law in doing so. Why would any innocent person panick at this peaceful exercise? False propaganda against our committee or the incoming government will not deter us, in sha Allah.

Thanks.

Dr Aliyu U. Tilde
Member/Secretary, Transition Committee, Bauchi State.

May 13, 2015 ·