Prior to his swearing-in as the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Simon Achuba, was actively involved in the 2015 gubernatorial victory of late Prince Abubakar Audu and Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, as he was among the major forces that delivered victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Achuba did not only deliver his local government,
Ibaji, to his party, he was also a team player that saw to the emergence of the APC. However, he became an enemy to some after he accepted to deputise Governor Yahaya Bello after the demise of Audu, when Faleke declined to be the deputy governor. Faleke’s decision was then criticised by some party faithful who believed that the Lagos-trained politician should have accepted the position in the interest of Audu/Faleke political family. As some analysts have argued, the ongoing impasse between the governor and his deputy should by now rub on Faleke should he have accepted to serve under Bello as deputy. His long time political experience and integrity would have been smeared beyong redemption. Achuba, since assuming the position of the deputy governor under Bello, has begun to deem out his political patronage and goodwill.
Many see his acceptance to serve as deputy as an act of betrayal against the Audu/Faleke group, which he is suppose to stand with. His current political fight against his principal did not come to many, particularly the Audu/Faleke political family as a surprise, as they believed that he deserves the humiliation he is currently facing.
Arguably, Achuba is the most experienced politician among the New Direction crop of politicians in Bello’s government, given that he had been holding political positions since 1999. Before Now Until he became the deputy governor, Achuba was an active and vocal member of the state House of Assembly representing Ibaji Constituency under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later left and joined the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), where he served as Director General to the late Audu’s campaign organisation. When Audu lost the gubernatorial election to governor Idris Wada in 2011, Achuba went back to his former party, PDP, where he was appointed chairman of an agency under Wada’s government.
As if he had the premonition that Wada’s government would come to an abrupt end, Achuba again joined the APC to support the election of Audu in 2015. Unfortunately, Audu could not benefit from his victory as he gave up the ghost just after the election, on the eve of his victory. Immediately Bello was sworn in, Achuba was appointed deputy governor not minding the impending ridicule his appointment may come with. The genesis The beginning of Achuba’s travails was when he decided to prove his political know-how in the New Direction circle. As some of his supporters argued, Achuba should have known that the only way to be a team player in the Bello government was to play along with them, even when things were getting awry between the government and the people. Though the embattled deputy governor did not agree with that assertion, he believes that his albatross is his stance on the plight of workers. He once told journalists that his issue with the governor started when he advised that workers in the state were key to any progressive government and that they should be given their entitlement as and when due.
“When I brought the issue of workers welfare to the governor, he treated it with less importance and I told him that if doesn’t need them (civil servants), he should scrap them (the civil service) and let us do their work.” “Nobody in this government can say this is the nominal roll of the state civil servants, and for the government claiming to have cleared all workers salary with the N30.8 billion last tranch of the bailout, it is not true. “The only sector the Kogi State Government is no longer owing salaries, is the political office holders’ sector”, the deputy governor said.
He also carpeted the government for seeing payment of salary to its workers as an achievement, stressing that any government celebrating payment of salary to its workers, is not a serious government. “It is the duty of any individual who has the responsibility to discharge, to be mindful of human welfare. Every labourer deserves his wage to say the least, and boasting of salary payment by any governor or any organisation is to say that, that government is no longer functioning well. “If people have worked for 30 days, you should pay them their salary and get on to do whatever other responsibility you have to do.”
Save my soul Saturday Telegraph further gathered that the stance of the deputy governor over the plight of the state workers brought a deep crack within the New Direction government, as his security details and entitlement were withdrawn. In an SOS message, Achuba who said water and electricity to his official residence were cut-off, cried out to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police to save his life and those of his family members. He further pointed out that, should anything happen to him and members of his family, Bello and his government should be held responsible, stressing that the insecurity in kogi was no longer about armed robbery, kidnappings and ritual killings but about the fear of gunmen allegedly loyal to the governor, who attacked perceived enemies of the governor. “People of the state are no longer safe, as expression of contrary opinion would invoke the gunmen anger.
In a democracy, the people are free to exercise their fundamental human rights without harassment and intimidation”, Achuba had said while advising his boss to toe the path of honour by delivering good governance to the state and not embark on wide goose chase. Achuba also urged the IGP, DSS and other security agencies to beam their searchlights on the state and put an end to the political violence and intimidation going on there. ‘You’re crying wolf’ But the governor through his Chief Press Secretary, Mohammed Onogwu, denied the allegation of threat to life levelled against the governor by Achuba.
In a statement, which described Achuba’s allegations as bogus, the government said it was blackmail to wrongly accuse the governor. “The Kogi State Government is appalled that a deputy governor, who should epitomise leadership and good example in all senses, could descend so low to employ smear campaign against the person of Governor Yahaya Bello and we state without equivocation that Achuba has no shred of evidence for his reckless surmising, which is nothing but a scripted venture in ruinous adventure.
We do not train assassins, as such, the state government or her personnel cannot be involved in sending assassins to murder any human soul, let alone the deputy governor of our dear state. “Despite these unsubstantiated ramblings however, we deemed it fit to clear the air by letting the general public know that the Kogi State Government will not be dragged into any form of political gerrymandering concocted for the furtherance of any person’s political interest or notoriety.” The governor asked Achuba to bring evidence of his claims or desist from making further spurious allegations.
“We warn Mr Simon Achuba who is known to history as a man whose affinity for violence is unparalleled not to judge us by his own standards. The report of the Kogi State Government Commission of Enquiry on the Iyaño Ethnic crises in 2017 is still fresh in our memories. “The government led by Bello, therefore, rejects the futile attempt at seeking to link it to any assassination attempt on the deputy governor and we advice that people desist from seeking political capital from scenarios they imagine would advance their parochial cause, no matter how banal such causes may seem.
“Nigerians and Kogites in particular are aware that it is not in the character of the administration to persecute perceived opponents let alone the second-in-command of New Direction team. We have remained a model for peaceful engagement and political dialogue. Any inclination at portraying us otherwise will not be acceptable,” the statement added. Legal battle On his unpaid renumeration, Achuba employed the service of a popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), to impress on the governor to pay him his entitlement. Achuba through Falana gave the governor a seven-day ultimatum to pay the outstanding allocations due to his office.
The total amount owed the deputy according to Falana’s ultimatum notice is in the sum of N819, 709, 980, for the 2017, 2018 and 2019 memo approval. Falana had in a letter dated July 17, 2019, said the accumulated statutory allocations the state government had withheld, which included travel allowances, hotel bills, pledges and outstanding monthly impress and salaries due to his client as the deputy governor of the state amounted to N819, 709, 980, 00. “If our client’s request is not granted within seven days of the receipt of this letter, we have our client’s instructions to seek redress in the National Industrial Court.
It is hoped that Your Excellency will not allow our client to resort to litigation in respect of this matter as that may embarrass the government. “Our client has informed us that your administration has consistently refused to give approval for the release of funds for the smooth running of the office of the deputy governor even after memos to that effect have been approved by your office. In particular, the statutory allocations approved for the office of the deputy governor had been withheld by the state government since 2017.” “These said statutory Allocations are duly captured in the Kogi State Appropriation Laws of statutory allocations of 2017, 2018 and 2019 supported by various memos sent to your office since 2017, which were duly approved without cash backing till date.” “Notwithstanding the fact that the statutory allocations have been illegally withheld, our client has continued to carry out his functions as the deputy governor of Kogi State. Inasmuch as our client is prepared to continue to discharge the enormous responsibilities of his office, he is currently hampered by lack of funds, which has wide ranging implications for the state even as it prepares for the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
“In view of the foregoing, we have our client’s instructions to request Your Excellency to use your good offices to ensure the immediate payment of the withheld statutory allocations legitimately appropriated for the office of the deputy governor of Kogi State since 2017,” the letter read in part. Suspension The deputy governor’s war against his boss had hitherto generated serious reaction and condemnation from the governor’s beneficiaries who would rather see Achuba booted out of office. The state chapter of the APC, which ordinarily should mediate between its members, suspended Achuba for alleged anti-party activities before, during and after the 2019 general elections. Achuba was also accused by the party to have engaged in actions that constitute embarrassment to the APC family in Kogi state. The state chairman of the party, Hon. Abdullahi Bello, who addressed journalists said the party had received several petitions from stakeholders in Iyano ward of Ibaji Local Government Area where the deputy governor hailed from, alleging that Achuba had discretely and openly worked for the candidates of the opposition parties during the presidential, national and state assembly elections.
He added that the activities of Achuba during the last elections was against the candidates of the APC which he is currently enjoying as deputy governor of the state The chairman noted that the report of the disciplinary committees constituted by the Iyano ward and Ibaji Local Government chapter of the APC, to probe the crises in the area allegedly indicted the deputy governor and also recommended his suspension to be followed by expulsion if he did not show any remorse. Bello who stated that the State Working Committee (SWC) of APC, having deliberated on the recommendations of the disciplinary committee of the party in Iyano ward and Ibaji Local Government branches of the party, said the state chapter of the APC had resolved and upheld Achuba’s suspension till he responded to the letter that the party would serve him.
“As we are all aware, the APC does not condone acts of indiscipline, indiscretion and anti-party activities from any party member, no matter how highly placed. His series of reckless, damaging and unsubstantiated allegations against government of the state was an action that constitute a serious violation of Article 21A(ii), (v) and (vii) of the APC Constitution, amounting to acts of disloyalty and embarrassment to the party” he stressed, adding that the decision of the SWC would be communicated to the NWC.
Impeachment notice
As it stands, the embattled deputy governor’s position is currently hanging in the balance, following the move allegedly sponsored by the governor to remove him. Also the kogi State House of Assembly, which had commenced the impeachment process on the deputy governor for his alleged actions and utterances in public domain, accused Achuba of gross misconduct. The impeachment process was in reaction to a petition signed by 21 members of the House which was presented at the floor of the House by the House Majority Leader, Hon. Abdullahi Bello representing Ajaokuta constituency.
The petition read in part: “We, the members of the Kogi State House of Assembly have in the past few weeks and days watched keenly the actions and utterances of the deputy governor, both in public and on national television with regards to the government of Kogi State, the governor, and other key officials of the state government especially the allegations of crimes, financial misappropriation and non performance levelled against them.
“It is our belief that these actions and utterances of the deputy governor amount to gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office” The petition also alleged that a committee set up to look into the Iyano crises in Ibaji Local Government, made some finding that indicted Achuba over his actions in relation to the escalation of the crisis. “It is our view that the deputy governor is guilty of gross misconduct and he ought to defend himself and or substantiate all these allegations” The state Chief Judge, Nasir Ajanah, had constituted a seven-man panel to investigate all the allegations against the deputy governor, as directed by the state House of Assembly.
The seven-man panel has Mr. John Baiyeshea (SAN) as chairman while other members are; Hajiya Bilikisu Abdulmalik Basher, Mr. William A. Aliwo Esq., Canon Z. A. Asun, Alhaji Isa Adeboye, Mr. Muhammed A. Aikoye and Mr. Ada Shaibu. Mr. Bamidele Aina Esq., the DCR Special Duties at the High Court will serve as the panel’s Secretary. While inaugurating the panel, Justice Ajana said the appointment was in pursuant to section 188(5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as (amended). He said that the members were appointed with the knowledge that they were people of unquestionable character and integrity, urging them to carry out their duty without fear or favour.
“You have been asked to investigate the allegations against His Excellency, the deputy governor of Kogi State in line with Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The basic rule of fair hearing must be sacrosanct in your proceedings. I have no doubt that you will discharge this duty, which you owe God and Kogi State meritoriously”, Ajanah added. As argued by some Kogi residents, who support Bello, the storm gathering against Achuba should not have come up if he had been a team player and refused to be an advocate of the people, especially civil servants.
The heap of allegations on the deputy governor can only be justified or otherwise by the seven-man panel, who are seen as men of integrity. The questions begging for answers include; whether the state government is owing workers salaries. Has the deputy governor been paid his wages and entitlements and is Achuba’s life under threat? Only time and the panel can tell.
Credit: New Telegraph
