Barrister Nasiru Aliyu Dan Tsoho is the incumbent Commissioner of Lands, Housing, Survey, and Town Planning in Sokoto State. He was a Commissioner of Science and Technology in Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko administration. In this interview, he speaks about the challenges and the achievements of the Ahmad Aliyu administration.
Question: How has the last year and five months been as the Commissioner of Lands, Housing, and Survey?
Answer: It has been fascinating and challenging because Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto is more than determined to deliver on his campaign promises to the good people of Sokoto State who have shown him deep affection. Working with a goal-getter like Governor Ahmad Sokoto, who demands results because he can’t afford to fail the people or himself, is exhilarating… thankfully the governor provides the much-needed support which is critical in the execution of my assignment. For instance, he was determined to deliver some projects by his first 100 days and he kept everyone on their feet. We were able to construct the entire road network in the Sahara Commercial axis which he had promised the traders and the project was commissioned within the first 100 days.
Question: Hope you are not complaining because either you asked for the job…or the governor was aware of your capacity and saddled you with the assignment.
Answer: No oh…am not complaining. I feel honoured to have been appointed by the governor and charged with the responsibility of helping him deliver on his campaign promises. Am extremely happy working with a man of integrity that is committed to a better life for our people. Certainly, he is demanding. So am just letting you know that the governor is a workaholic who is in a hurry to change the story of our dear state.
Question: So what other projects was the governor able to deliver in his first 100 days?
Answer: Within the first 100 days the governor was equally able to award the contract for the construction of 500 housing units comprising 2 bedrooms and 3 bedrooms at Wajekke town, Kalambaina/Wamakko road. The estate is at various stages of completion. We inherited the uncompleted Lydia flyover. In fact, it was abandoned by the Aminu Tambuwal administration. We have completed it and the Vice President of the federal public of Nigeria commissioned it. Unlike the Tambuwal administration, we are not going to abandon any project that would positively impact the people of Sokoto State. We have equally gotten the contractor to return to the site because we are determined to complete the construction of the 500 housing units that was initiated by the Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko administration but which the Aminu Tambuwal administration for inexplicable reasons abandoned. I was the Commissioner of Land and Housing and I handed over this project at almost 80% competition so I know what I am saying. When Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto took over he revived the abandoned project because our people needed accommodation and the project had become an eyesore especially as it is located within the city centre and had become a hiding spot for criminals. We hope to complete it soonest.
Question: How about roads?
Answer: It’s another area where the governor has done fantastically well. We have awarded contracts for a good number of roads because the provision of critical infrastructure is one of the key promises made by Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto. His ambition is that before he leaves office he will have delivered a new Sokoto State town, and we have already started making a difference in different areas of the capital for example, in Tudun Wada A and in parts of Tudun Wada B all in Sokoto South Local Government about 50 number roads are currently under construction and work has reached appreciable stage of completion. As you are aware construction of roads comes with the displacement of people especially their properties having to give way for expansion, so as a responsible government we have paid compensation. The roads would stand the test of time.
Work commenced at the South Eastern Bypass ( Kasarawa to Shuni ) which was initiated by the Aminu Tambuwal administration and was as usual abandoned halfway. The governor hopes that within the next 3 to 4 months the project will be delivered.
The project is part of the governor’s effort to decongest the city especially the articulated vehicles such as trailers, tankers and other vehicles bringing in goods to the metropolis. He is not unmindful of the risk to the public….so it’s a project of importance. We are going to map our strategies to ensure the movement of bigger vehicles like lorries to come inside the town to avoid congestion, especially within the inner town like the old market axis and the new market where there are a lot of conjunctions because of the movement of lorries around that site.
Question: How about parks?
Answer: You beat me to it. The State Government has also decided to construct a number of garages at the outskirts of the city to ease congestion. They will have specific time for movement and once they have delivered their consignment they are expected to move out of town. The parks are currently under construction and the work is more than 50%. We hope to complete them by the end of the year. So we have mapped out our strategies to ensure they come in and go without causing gridlock and nuisance to the general public including pedestrians who have rights to use the roads without hindrance. These are some of the projects that Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto has initiated under the Ministry of Land and Housing.
Question: Are there plans to open the capital because clearly your population is growing?
Answer: Yes. There is New City with well-planned layouts, roads …a site and a services scheme. Again it was abandoned like several other projects that the former governor never saw to completion. So far over 1,960 plots have been demarcated for allocation to applicants who desire to build their own houses. Because the governor considers housing as a right he purchased 136 units from the federal government in Kuwnawa because it was constructed for our people and years it wasn’t allocated so the Sokoto State government approached the Federal Ministry of Land and Housing. We fixed the estate and former president Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the estate which was named after Hassan Dan Baba (Magajin Garin Sokoto) an illustrious son of Sokoto State. Deserving public servants is the governor’s priority in the allocation of the houses.
Question: So I won’t be wrong to say that Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto has delivered his campaign promises to the good people of Sokoto State?
Answer: The Governor is my very good friend, we attended the same secondary school, so without boasting I can say that I know him fairly well because we have been together from the beginning …I can to a large extent predict him, but as governor he has pleasantly surprised me and many others who initially thought the governor would perform averagely. And that would have been fantastic considering that Aminu Tambuwal was a a failure. The governor has superseded expectations and is still determined to surprise cynics who think his performance is a flash in the pan. Governor Ahmad would continue to daze them because of the mentality that he has brought to the assignment. He wants to repay the people who have stood by him with performance. And for him, his promise is like an oath. He has a fantastic memory and this has helped him in recollecting the promises that he made….once he remembers….expect immediate action.
There is another critical road project that I forgot to mention – the Original Symbol Road Network. During the rainy season the road is a nightmare for vehicles delivering fresh fruits like pineapple, cucumber, oranges etc. When it rains there is no way a trailer can use the road. His Excellency made a promise that if elected he would fix the road within his first 100 days in office and being a man who keeps his word he over-delivered to the delight of the people. All the 7 roads within that axis have been reconstructed and motorists are enjoying the brand new road which they thought was never going to materialize.
I equally remember our campaign trip to (Alkilla settlement ). In return for their support, he promised to fix the road network in the settlement and that project is ongoing …about 10 roads. Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto is a born leader that God has blessed with a wonderful memory, a conscience and the love of people. He has proven himself equal to the task of moving the state forward.
Question: But is housing a problem in Sokoto capital town?
Answer: Housing is a worldwide problem that is not limited to Sokoto State. It’s a significant challenge. The argument as to which is first is as old as man- whether it’s food or shelter, but I know a man can do without food for days while without shelter and exposure to the elements it would be difficult to survive. As of 2023, the housing deficit in Nigeria stood at 28 million units. Before Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto took over the Aminu Tambuwal administration had sold off more than 98% of the total assets of the Sokoto State government. It’s important to put on record the atrocities committed by the Aminu Tambuwal administration. He betrayed the people of Sokoto State and that’s because he didn’t win the 2019 elections, so maybe that’s their punishment for returning him with a mere 342 votes.
This is why the provision of housing became urgent for the governor. Within the first 30 days, we initiated the construction of 500 housing units and we will continue building until we ensure that everyone has a roof over their head. But it hasn’t been easy because the former administration left debts and crisis for the governor…for instance we had to negotiate with the contractor handling the housing project who had initially dragged the government to court. Thankfully he is back on site. We hope that by the end of this year, the 500 housing units will be delivered. That may solve certain problems for civil servants who are without accommodation.
Question: Beyond crisis ridden projects, are there other challenges… like the refusal of Aminu Tambuwal to leave a handover note for his successor?
Answer: We inherited crises in virtually every sector. Take the (Gidan Salanke Housing) Estate Project which was abandoned and the contractor had dragged the government to court because the previous administration didn’t keep to the terms of the contract agreement. We negotiated with the contractors because it’s not good for a government to be dragged to court because the government is continuity and because the governor believes in justice. The government can’t trample on your rights because it’s powerful. Daily, we are engaging with contractors who were not paid for contracts executed.
As I said we completed the Rijiyar Dorowa flyover which we met around 65% completion but was abandoned, again we had to negotiate with the contractor who had abandoned the site. Unfortunately, there were no documents since Aminu Tambuwal decided not to do a proper handover.
I want to make something clear…..this administration is not in any way hostile to the former governor Aminu Tambuwal, but we have a responsibility to inform the people of Sokoto State of the state of things. For instance, the Sokoto Central Market was burnt, while the former administration initiated the reconstruction of the market but unknown to the good people of Sokoto State, the market had been mortgaged. Some weeks ago the government received a notice from one of the commercial banks that it is entitled to more than 50% of the stalls in the market. As in everything about the former administration, they left no document on the transaction. …there is no evidence of what they did with the facility. We are engaging the bank to see how we can retrieve our property from them. It’s one week one trouble from abandoned contracts. Just as I am dealing with the market issue another problem with the (Tashar Illela to Achida road construction) has just surfaced. The constructor abandoned the road, (he was given 2 sets of roads, 1st road is at Sokoto To Shuni Road, and the second is Tashar Illela to More Achida Road.
Aminu Tambuwal was unfair to the people of Sokoto State. He ought to have left records which would guide the new government. We lost valuable time trying to make sense of things. Thankfully the governor came prepared. He has refused to be distracted by the challenges. His capacity to absorb shock is amazing and his maturity in handling situations. He is not a storyteller so Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto would always find a way to resolve the situation. He knows where he is headed…which explains why he works 24 hours. He is equal to the task.
Question: Let’s stay on the Sokoto market. Given all the challenges or obstacles that you have listed and the number of projects that Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto’s administration has been able to execute in the last year, I am just wondering where and how the government is getting the resources to execute all these projects, considering that the previous government borrowed money whether for the road projects or the market you have to deal with the liabilities like you are doing?
Answer: I have asked this question myself…. the obvious answer is the prudent management of the resources because unlike Aminu Tambuwal he is not interested in contesting for the presidency. The ambition of Aminu Tambuwal to use the governorship as a stepping stone to the presidency explains why he had nothing to show for the 8 years he was in office. To run for the presidency is not a joke….the people of Sokoto State paid a heavy price for his ambition. So the governor is not flying private jets. The governor hasn’t borrowed one kobo, every project is being funded from the allocation we are getting from the federal government as well as the internal revenue. And the governor ensures value for money…that each Kobo that comes in counts. He is not giving out the money belonging to the people for the presidency. The people are seeing their resources being put to use and they see their governor, unlike the former governor who visits the state.
Question: What does the governor intend to do as regards the indebtedness of the government on the market if I got you right you said there is no evidence of the collections either in terms of the rebuilding of the market or in your coffers. I remember vividly, that former governor Wike donated N500 million to the state government. Are you saying there are no records of it too?
Answer: I maintain my statement that absolutely no record was handed over to us. But this administration of Gov Aliyu Sokoto would not abandon any property or properties belonging to the people of Sokoto State to be taken over by any financial institution. So every month we are paying around N300 million Naira to that particular bank over the Sokoto Central Market transaction.
Question: So exactly how much do you think you owe the bank?
Answer: It’s around N1.8 Billion .
Question: Do you have the number of the traders that were affected for reallocation purposes after the reconstruction of the market? And are there plans to increase the number of stores?
Answer: The market belongs to the state government. The traders are tenants and depending on the agreement between them and the state government through the market management company they pay rents. As to the number of shops, there are more than 1000 plus shops in the Sokoto Central Market and currently about 60% of it is functioning, only about 40% was burnt by fire. The Aminu Tambuwal administration commenced the reconstruction but the project technically speaking was abandoned. The state government is now paying both the principal and the interest. We have records of those occupying the stores. We will ensure that everyone gets his shop back. For now there is no need to expand the market because there are still vacancies shops.
Question: Would the government blacklist the banks involved in these transactions?
Answer: It all depends on the nature of the breaches of the agreement by them. If the financial institution has not breached any of its obligations, there would be no need for the government to take further action. My governor being a man of peace would any day prefer dialogue until you push him to the wall then you will see the other side of him. We can’t deny any proven liability of the government. We are operating from a position of weakness considering that we don’t have records. …but this doesn’t mean that contractors can attempt to swindle the government. We are painstakingly going through records of payment at the Ministry of Finance. Any dubious contractor cannot succeed rather he or she would have jeopardized their chances of doing business with the government. For example, the contractor that handled the flyover bridge which we met uncompleted and we were desirous of swiftly completing because it’s within the centre of the town …the contractor brought his documents and we worked with the finance ministry to ascertain the amount he had been paid. Thankfully payments are through financial institutions. So these financial institutions have equally been helpful.
Question: Taken that government is a continuum and you can’t deny genuine liabilities left by the previous government. How can this situation be averted in future especially the public servants who ought to protect government interest?
Answer: Currently there is a judicial commission of inquiry into the dealings of the past administration right from day one. It’s one big obstacle that is slowing us down. The Aminu Tambuwal administration was reckless. I don’t understand multiple allocations of plots. …every day we waste precious time resolving an issue that ought not to have risen. All these are being investigated and that has stopped us from allocating plots to successful applicants who applied for land because we want to make sure that we don’t make avoidable mistakes. A few weeks ago I had to settle a problem because Aminu Tambuwal decided to allocate an estate the Calabari Housing Estate which has only 500 houses to more than 1,000 people. We are still dealing with the issue of double allocation and other problems. We are waiting for the Report of the judicial commission of inquiry.
Question: You were the commissioner of Lands, Housing, Survey, and Town Planning, some years back and you are back in the same position… which speaks volumes about your capacity. Would you say the last administration dragged this Sokoto State backwards?
Answer: Yes Aminu Tambuwal certainly did. Some weeks back one of the finest civil servants whom I have the utmost respect for visited me. He met me very upset because somebody had just left my office shouting at me because his plot of land had been reallocated to someone else by the previous administration. On investigation, it was discovered that it was allocated to him on the 25th of May, 2023 four days before Aminu Waziri Tambuwal left office but unfortunately, the same plot had been allocated to someone else two years back. There are several other cases before the court..he sold all government houses, and embarked on an indiscriminate excision of plots and multiple sales of the houses. These are some of the problems that we are dealing with. I will give you an example of how bad the situation is. There is this man that was involved in an accident and lost his memory and it is his wife that is responsible for keeping the family going. The sad part of the story is that they bought a house that has been sold to several other people. Due to his pathetic case the real owner relinquished his ownership to him.
Another scandalous case is the allocation of the houses in Gidan Salanke Housing Estate, which he met at 70% to 80% completion, but didn’t complete but he went ahead to allocate three months before he left the office. So we are sorting out the mess and once we do we intend to refund those who cannot be accommodated.
So if I say that Aminu Tambuwal took the state backwards by twenty years it’s not an understatement. Every blessed day my office is like a courtroom due to the mess he left behind. Go to the State High Court and see the number of cases as a result of his multiple allocations. Where we can we have settled some cases especially when they are amenable to reconciliation.
Question: Honorable Commissioner how are handling the issue of contract variation due to inflation?
Answer: I will give you the example of the (Tasha Illela down to More Achida Road and that of Gusou Road, down to Shuni town) The road was awarded three years back and abandoned because the Aminu Tambuwal administration didn’t fund the project, so the contractor abandoned the project. We have no option but to review the cost of the project considering inflation … The project is critical and if we don’t complete the project it would be a great waste of the resources of the people.
Question: This impression of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Speaker House of Representatives, two-term governor of Sokoto state and a serving senator that you have painted is different from what Nigerians see and think about somebody who wanted to be President. How do you want to convince Nigerians that this is not a political fight?
Answer: Whosoever that wants to see the footprint of the real Aminu Waziri Tambuwal should come to Sokoto State. We will take him around, even to his hometown of Tambuwal, where he failed to keep his promise to dualize the roads within the town. He demolished houses without paying compensation and started the streets like he truly was serious but as usual, he abandoned the construction. Federal government projects meant for the state like the Federal College of Education, (Gidan Madi) couldn’t take off because he failed to provide the land and pay compensation. It was Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto who recently paid the sum of N104 million to the affected landowners so that the project could proceed. Same for the land that the government acquired for irrigation farming the owners were not paid compensation until the governor paid them N216 million last month. There was no light in ministries, the water works and the Government House for more than three months before Aminu Waziri Tambuwal handed over because he was owing the Kaduna Electricity Company. Those who want to see the true picture of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal should come to Sokoto State, we will take him or her around and also show them facts and figures, sites and even sounds from the public of his disastrous eight years as governor. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal shouldn’t have been a Local Government Chairman let alone a governor talk less of being the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Question: So are the Sokoto people rejecting their son?
Answer: We are not the rejecting our son, but certainly when your hand is rotten …. what do you do with it? Nobody is rejecting anybody but his absence and negligence because of his presidential ambition caused him these problems. Sokoto State was a stepping stone but he woefully failed to perform.
Question: Finally, in what ways will the administration of your brother, your friend, and your governor be different from that of the Aminu Waziri Tambuwal Administration? Will you allow Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto to take private jets on chartered flights week in, and week out?
Answer: Since Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto took over, I can’t recall a single day to the best of my knowledge that he chartered a flight…he won’t do it unless it’s necessary because he is not an ostentatious person and a God-fearing who has the best interest of the people at heart. He flies commercial airlines. He goes to Abuja for meetings and once he is done he hurries back to the state. He takes his assignment very seriously and would never be an absentee governor. For most outside-the-state engagements, the deputy governor represents him. Unlike Tambuwal he listens to advice. He understands the responsibility of being a governor beyond the paraphernalia of the office. Most days he closes around 5 pm but by 8 pm he is back to the office again. His family would have been suffering but for his wife who is a pillar of support. I don’t switch off my phone and this applies to his appointees because he can call at any time, even at 2 am, to ask questions and give directives. He is a fair and just man who has come to restore hope to a long-suffering people. He is on track with his 9 Point Agenda. We can’t fail him or fail our people, so he has our unflinching support.
