By Emmanuel Ado
Shafi’u Umar Tureta, cannot by any stretch of imagination or definition be defined or addressed as an activist contrary to the utter falsehoods being peddled by Amnesty International(AI) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has never hidden its avowed determination to make Sokoto State ungovernable for Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto whose only crime remains that in the words Tambuwal’s associates the “audacity” to contest against Tambuwal in 2019 and in the 2023 governorship elections roundly defeated his candidate Saidu Umar. The identity of Tureta must be settled because it would allow for a better appreciation of the issues that have led to his incarceration.
Shafi’u Umar Tureta is the special assistant on local and digital media to Senator Aminu Tambuwal the former governor of Sokoto State. His Facebook page confirms that he is a political associate of Tambuwal and that his brief is to constantly “harass” the governor in furtherance of the 2027 political objectives of Tambuwal, the defeat of Governor Ahmad Sokoto.
In Nigeria, it’s important to stress that every Dick, Tom and Harry hides under the banner of ‘activist’ to commit heinous crimes knowing fully well that whenever they are held accountable the toga would generate instant public sympathy. Clearly ‘activists’ is one of the most abused words. Assuming, but without conceding, that Tureta is an activist, does being an activist confer on him the right to maliciously savage the hard-earned reputation of Governor Ahmad Sokoto and his wife? And why do we have laws if Tureta can’t be dragged before a competent law court to answer for their alleged crimes? The Nigerian Police Force in reaction to a properly laid complaint thoroughly investigated the allegations against Tureta and found sufficient evidence that he did indeed circulated injurious falsehood on his Facebook page which contravenes. The police rightly charged him before a court. As the Americans would say, he has his day in court.
However, Governor Sokoto deserves commendation and not condemnation for refusing to take the laws into his hands, thus reiterating his credentials as a firm believer in the rule of law despite several provocations by Tureta. Tureta’s numerous new media posts accusing the governor of anything that catches his fancy have the sole objective of pitching the people against the government. Take the post of 15th August 2024 by Tureta on his Facebook page. In that post, he expressed disgust with the government’s purchase of 30 trucks of rice to be resold to the good people of Sokoto State at a 50% discount. Rather than applauding the government for ameliorating the harsh economic situation that has made living difficult for the vast majority of Nigerians, Tureta was aghast that the bid to supply the trucks of rice was won by a contractor who he claims is an associate of the governor. One is tempted to ask when it became a crime for a former classmate or a political associate to bid for contracts. Further, it would be interesting to see the list of the contractors that executed contracts under Tambuwal assuming there is one.
Meanwhile, Tureta refused to disclose is the fact that Governor Ahmad Sokoto, unlike what obtained during the administration of his boss, Tambuwal, did not borrow the N14 billion from any commercial bank to fund the project and that the government would sell the rice at 50% discount to the poor and the most vulnerable. More disturbing to the Tambuwal camp is the fact that Governor Ahmad Sokoto’s execution of consequential projects in all the sectors is further exposing the failure of Tambuwal’s administration. Thankfully the Justice Muazu Abdulkadir Commission of Inquiry would reveal the amount that Tambuwal’s administration spent on chartered flights only because he was reckoned to be Sokoto’s absentee governor who ruled from Abuja, a badge that Governor Sokoto is not competing to wear..
There is no doubt that Amnesty International got its facts on the alleged violations of human rights by the Sokoto State Government wrong because the government of Governor Ahmad Sokoto being fully aware of the PDP’s determination and plot to cause chaos in Sokoto State has refused to fall for their mischievous plots.
Governor Ahmad Sokoto has shown clearly that he understands the importance and effectiveness of laws for social engineering and has consequently made it a key pedestal of his administration. This is the background to the recent amendment of the Local Government Law 2009, which the PDP and other agents of destabilization like Professor Ishaq Akintola of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) found unacceptable and unleashed massive propaganda that the law was intended to remove the Sultan of Sokoto. The amendment has since been effected and Nigerians can’t attest to the fact that it was designed to remove the inconsistencies in the law and Section 4 of the 1999 constitution which recognizes only three only sets of powers namely; the Legislative Powers, Executive Powers and Judicial powers.
The PDP is also angry that Governor Ahmad Sokoto has shown a good grasp of the constitution and is making every effort to respect it compared to Aminu Tambuwal a lawyer of longstanding experience whose laws were in breach of the provisions of the constitution. The amendment has increased the tenure of elected local government officials from two to three years. Before the amendment, only Sokoto State had two-year tenure for elected council officials in the country.
Governor Ahmad Sokoto’s commitment to surpass the expectations of the good people of Sokoto State from his administration is worrying to the PDP which had nothing to show for the eight years it ruled. Governor Ahmad Sokoto understands that the only way to “pepper” Tambuwal who is still nursing the ambition to run for president is to out-perform him. This explains the strident campaign of calumny against the government. Tambuwal wants Governor Ahmad Sokoto to fail and that accounts for reason he refused to avail his successor with a handover note that would have helped him find his bearing. He also, allegedly, left the state with huge contractual obligation.
The most worrying action of the Tambuwal administration was the liability of over N14 billion in unpaid pension gratuities of civil servants that retired between 2015 and 2023. Governor Ahmad Sokoto, moved by compassion at the suffering of men and women who gave the state their youth, ordered the immediate release of N4 billion for payment and further committed himself to paying N500 million every month until the backlog of gratuities is cleared. Unfortunately, 900 of the 5000 retired workers painfully passed on, failed by a leader who claimed he had their mandate to govern.
Tureta has been charged to court to prove his assertions. And Magistrate Fatima Hassan would rule based on facts. Tambuwal being a lawyer can avail himself of the best lawyers to mount a vigorous defense. Being an activist or a media aide to a former governor is not a license to impugn the character of Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto and that of his wife. The supporters of Tureta must come up with a better defence to justify the falsehoods he peddled against the governor and his wife other than the cheap claim of him being an activist, which they know he isn’t.
*Ado is a public affairs analyst.
