From Abel Daniel
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has been advised to safeguard and complete the cargo airport project initiated by his predecessor, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle and not to fall to the antics of sycophants who do not mean well for the state.
The ex-youth leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Comrade Mubarak Shi’itu, gave the advice in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the advice is imperative in view of speculations by certain aides close to Governor Lawal that the project will become a conduit pipe as plans are on to allegedly sabotage it from within.
It will be recalled that the former governor Bello Matawalle initially awarded the airport construction contract to AVIC International Engineering Limited for ₦11.4 billion.
The government paid ₦3.5 billion (30% mobilization) to start work and an additional ₦2.3 billion (20% of the contract sum) due to the COVID-19 lockdown, totaling ₦5.8 billion paid for the project.
However, Governor Lawal revoked and reviewed the contract with the project cost jumping to ₦62.8 billion.
The youth leader said it will be disastrous for a project considered as key to the promotion of trade and tourism in the state to be left half way and abandoned by the time this administration winds down at the end of its tenure.
He noted that in view of the criticisms and outcries that greeted the review of the project at a cost many alleged was grossly exaggerated, there is need for the governor to guide the progress of work jealously while also ensuring that it is completed within the time frame stipulated in the contract.
“We know the controversy the project generated in the Matawalle led past government up to the time our present governor Dauda Lawal took over, we are also happily aware that the project sum was reviewed upward from N11 billion to over N60 billion because of the concern the present governor has to complete it and the progress made so far.
“It will be highly disappointing to hear of an evil plan to sabotage or destroy government project especially like the gigantic cargo airport that will further take our dear state which has been battling with armed bandits for years backward.
“According to the information at our disposable, the planned destruction of the airport will then be blamed on bandits attack so that the government can have genuine reasons to discontinue the project after the billions that have been sunk in from the tax payers’ money.
“So, as staunch supporters of PDP and governor Dauda Lawal, we will not fold our hands to allow the information go unnoticed as we did during the recent Nigeria hardship and bad governance protest, where some of our youths were engaged by some of our leaders to destroy innocent citizens’ properties in the name of politics.
“If the governor feels he cannot complete the project as he assured or that the project sum is still not enough, he can review it again for the benefit of State citizens.
“As PDP patriotic members we will continue to monitor and assess all government projects in order to ensure timely execution and quality job so as to avoid waste of government resources,” he stated.
He said his reason for joining Lawal during his electioneering campaigns is to contribute his own quarter for the development of the state.
“We are not going to support anything evil especially such that is aimed tat destroying or organised crime in the name of politics which is dirty.
So, let Governor Lawal ensure the protection of all the public facilities in the state and avoid being accused of not doing the right thing,” he said.