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The Gombe State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tackled the state government over alleged gifts worth N315 million to a Kano-based singer.
In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, the PDP said it is deeply concerned over the alleged expenditure of public funds and the allocation of public assets by the Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya administration.
The PDP alleged that credible information at its disposal revealed that the state government approved the sum of N115 million for the purchase of a Coaster Bus for the singer, in addition to a cash grant of N200 million, “amounting to N315 million.”
Dukku stated that the “reckless” gift raises serious questions from the public about the government’s priorities.
“This is coming at a time when we are grappling with over 787,619 out-of-school children. The N315 million could have been used to return over 50,000 children [to school] through targeted education interventions, demonstrating the significant impact these resources could have had if invested in education.
“The same resources could also have been directed towards healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, youth empowerment, and other essential public services that would benefit thousands of citizens across the state,” part of the statement read.
The PDP further accused Governor Yahaya’s administration of allocating four plots of land in the Shehu Abubakar District Layout to the same singer.
“This allocation is particularly a matter of serious concern because the same layout was recently affected by a government revocation exercise, during which many existing landowners had their allocations reduced to half of their original sizes without compensation,” the party alleged.
The PDP stated that the people of the state deserve a clear explanation regarding these “unwise” decisions.
“In the interest of fairness, transparency, and accountability, we call on the Gombe State Government to justify its action by providing the basis upon which these public resources and assets were allocated.”
When contacted, the Director of Press Affairs at the Gombe Government House, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said they would not respond to what he described as “baseless allegations from the PDP.”
According to him, the allegation is a wild goose chase by the PDP to remain relevant in the political space.
“We don’t have time to glorify the PDP with any response as far as the matter is concerned.
“This is a desperate attempt by an already dead political party to attract attention and become relevant in the political space, bearing in mind that we are approaching an election year,” Misilli said.
