Bashir Maru, former deputy chief of staff to Zamfara State governor, has accused the governor of gifting vehicles bought to support security agencies in the state to his cronies and members of his family.
In a statement, Mr Maru also accused the governor, Bello Matawalle, of plotting to have him arrested.
He also said he has evidence that will reveal the beneficiaries of the Toyota Hilux vehicles.
Back story
Mr Maru, a medical doctor, recently resigned his position as the executive secretary of the state’s hospital service management board to contest the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives ticket for Maru/Bungudu constituency but local commentators say the governor decided that the ticket should be given to a supporter of a former governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, as part of a reconciliation deal with Mr Yari.
Mr Maru went ahead to contest for the ticket despite pleas from the governor and other top party officials in the state, who had decided that the ticket should be given to a consensus candidate.
Abdulmalik Zanna emerged as the winner of the primaries.
Before the primary election, Mr Maru accused “some elements” of trying to abduct him for his “insistence to contest” which he said led him to go underground to avoid being harmed.
The vehicles
Mr Maru said in the statement, also posted on his Facebook account, that the governor gifted the vehicles bought for security agencies in the state to his friends and family members.
The vehicles, he said, were bought through the Local Government Joint Accounts.
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He alleged that 200 vehicles were bought and 60 per cent of them were given to the police command, Army and Air Force formations as well as paramilitary security agencies.
“Unfortunately, more than 35% – 40% of those vehicles were dashed to family members, friends and political associates in far away Kano, Kogi, Osun, Nasarawa, Abuja, Borno, Adamawa, Zamfara and others. A proper detail of such distribution will be provided in due course for the public to have insight of the happenings behind the scenes.
“Sadly, most of those vehicles have been sold out by the beneficiaries of the Governor’s largesse. I am challenging the Zamfara State Governor to assemble just 15% of all official vehicles allocated since May 29, 2019,” he said.
Not the beginning
Mr Maru alleged that aside from his insistence to contest against the governor’s wish, he had issues with the governor over his role to ensure “due process and ensure the governor attended all official matters.”
He said while he was the deputy chief of staff, he kept complaining to the governor to treat files which had been submitted to him for six month earlier.
The former aide said other issues that pitched him against Mr Matawalle include: his insistence on payment of outstanding debts to WAEC and NECO Examination bodies, advocating for a permanent solution in the payment of local and foreign scholarships and the issue revolving around stranded scholars abroad.
In his days at the Hospital Service Management Board, Mr Maru said the “untouchable and powerful cartel” was angry with him for stepping on their toes.
The governor’s spokesman, Zailani Bappa, didn’t answer calls nor did he respond to SMS sent to him.
When contacted, the Director-General of New Media at the Government House, Ibrahim Zauma, said he was not authorised to comment on the matter.
