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Musa Tanimu Nasidi.
The commissioner in charge of operation with Kogi State Hajj Commission, Hon Muhammad Ashafa Yusuf Abdallah has sent a petition against the Acting Chairman, Hon. Isah Abdullahi to Governor Yahaya Bello.
In a petition titled; ‘Please Call The Acting – Chairman of Kogi State Hajj Commission (Alhaji Isah Abdullahi) To Order For The Smooth Running of the Commission’.
Ashafa, in the petition alleged that the Acting Chairman unilaterally acted, without the consent of other commission members, by awarding contract to the same agent whose activities led to the removal of the former chairman of the commission.
Part of the petition reads; “the Acting Chairman, Hon. Isah Abdullahi, solely awarded the accommodation contract to the same agent, in person of Alhaji Adamu, who was used by the Ex-Chairman Alhaji Sadiq Muhammad Rabiu to provide substandard accommodation for Kogi Pilgrims during last year Hajj”
The petition which was endorsed by Hon Ashafa and copied to Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon Umar Ahmad Imam and the Secretary to Kogi State Government, Mrs Ayode Folashade Arike, a copy of which was made available to this reporter, further accused the Acting Chairman of not releasing three months allowances which was approved from the Governor’s office to settle the salary of the state Hajj Commission drivers in Saudi Arabia.
According to him; “the drivers had complained to me severally via phone calls and the Acting Chairman is adamant about it”, he alleged.
The petitioner also stated that the Acting Chairman failed to account for the money approved for the servicing/fueling the commission vehicles in Saudi Arabia, an action which he said rendered the efforts of the commission more difficult to perform optimally.
Hon Ashafa, who is a permanent member 1 in the commission, accused the Acting Chairman of sabotaging Governor Yahaya Bello’s policy thrust which include fighting corruption and improve welfare of the people.
“The Acting Chairman of the commission has been meeting with some of the suspended staff of the commission and others outside the body in connection with Chairman’s mischief during the last year hajj operation which I see as total disregard for the confidence repose in him.
“The Acting Chairman stopped me, as commissioner of operation, from going on the second pre-Hajj visit to search for standard accommodation for Kogi State contingents and to negotiate with the several companies which is part of my responsibilities as the Permanent Member 1, in charge of operations”
He also alleged that since the assumption of Alhaji Isah Abdullahi as the Acting Chairman of the commission, “selfishness, greed and lack of transparency has been the hallmark of the leadership of the commission which according to him, if not check may, at the end of day, lead the commission to the same blasphemy that occurred during the last Hajj Operation”
According to the petitioner, all efforts made to draw the attention of the Acting Chairman both in writing and verbally failed as he persisted in his waywardness. He said he had made several efforts to call the chairman to order, assuring him of his solidarity and made him see that himself and his colleagues are not in any form of acrimony towards his leadership but to no avail in the mismanagement of the affairs of the commission.
Ashafa appealed to the Governor to quickly checkmate the excesses of the Acting Chairman to ensure maximum success in the forthcoming 2017 Hajj operation and to add colour to the image of the New Direction Agenda of his administration.
“Attached herewith is photocopy of my written advise and his reply and a photo evidence proving Alhaji Isah Abdullahi, Acting- Chairman meeting with one of Alhaji Sadiq Rabiu’s (Ex-Chairman) agent at Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja”, he concluded.
It would be recalled that the former Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Sadiq Muhammad Rabiu was suspended immediately after last year Hajj exercise.
According to an insider, the former Chairman, whose suspension and subsequent indictment by the probe panel set up by Governor Yahaya Bello, may not be unconnected with a similar petition written against the Chairman who, according to our source, are desperate to head the commission as Executive Chairman despite their education deficiencies.
When contacted by this reporter, the Acting Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Isah acknowledged the receipt of the petition and promised to respond.
All efforts made by this reporters to get his reaction proved abortive as he said; “we are meeting by 2pm, I will get back to you after the meeting.” When this reporter called his phone at about 3.45 pm there was no response.
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