Gov Almakura of Nasarawa State became very popular in the Nigerian politics after setting the pace as one of the very few lucky governorship aspirants under the platform of an opposition party to defeat an incumbent governor. His scenario became exceptional when he was the only governor under the then newly registered opposition CPC. He defeated Akwe Doma gallantly and unexpectedly as a result of his party manifesto, Buhari’s symbol and the people’s urge to sack Doma’s government at the time. Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor was said to also work against his successor due to their alleged disagreement over some issues and the Doma’s unpopular policies. There were high hopes coming out from his inauguration speech in 2011. He hurriedly approved the implementation of the N18,000 national minimum wage, began a massive road construction in the capital of Lafia with paparazzi and appears to be the Messiah of the state. Very little did people expect of today’s Almakura, almost becoming one of the worst governors in nigeria. In fact, he is among the few governors in APC that is not doing enough even after collecting bailout funds that seems to have gone into oblivion. It can be recalled that he did not make any recruitment in the whole of his first tenure apart from the kangaroo NAYES boys and girls who are being paid N10,000 monthly stipend as a compensation to his party loyalists. Yes, he implemented the minimum wage but since 2011, no worker has enjoyed any promotion talk more of employing others. Pensioners are seriously left out of payment roll for a while now and their condition of service deteriorates continuously as there is no pension and or gratuities at the sight. He appears to be an anti-human resources development governor, one of the situations that almost cost him the 2015 elections. Again, people of Nasarawa state decided to vote him back to power in 2015 considering the absence of any credible opposition candidate such as Labaran Maku of APGA and Mohammed Agabi of PDP to take over the mantle of leadership. He also won the election as a result of the Buhari’s tsunami and the change mantra that almost swept every part of northern Nigeria. He is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Buhari’s charisma in his first election and the re-election bids but Almakura’s poor performance costs Buhari to lose the state woefully to his opponent, Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP as evidenced in 2015 for the second time in a row. He has continuously failed to pay the workers’ salary as appropriate since March, this year. When the situation started, he went to the media and told the whole world of the flimsy excuses, rushed and collected loan from the bank to pay the workers all in a struggle to be re-elected for the second. But the situation got worst after his re-election as workers could no longer be paid most especially those at the local government level, a situation where workers are paid in percentages, say 30% of a month salary in 3moths. The situation is lingering but one will wonder where the bailout fund is being kept. A source alleged that Almakura must have kept the money in a fixed bank account to yield more profit for himself while others said the money must have been diverted for his other personal use. It is in the wake of this that Almakura resort to engaging the state labour Congress with different harsh tactics such as the cash table payment among others to cover up the lapses. As it is today, 13thSeptember, the workers are still being owed several months salaries while other capital projects are ongoing wondering whether a state can achieve meaningfully without effective human resources in place. He seems to be playing gamble with the workers’ life and preferring to be playing to the gallery insensitively. Now that Almakura’s mandate is still being challenged by his opponent, Maku at the tribunal and he is still behaving like this, are the workers yet to see the worst that can happen to them when the verdict is finally passed by the Justice Muhammed Halima’s led panel? Can he resolve the problem and go ahead to employ more people into the service? There is an avalanche of graduates being graduated from the higher institutions yearly within state alone but there hopes dim every day as the lacks any economic policy to engage them. Whichever way, Almakura must retrace his steps and take urgent measures to pay off the outstanding workers’ salaries once and for all because he is subjecting many workers to a lot of hardship and sufferings which has resulted to the death of maany while others are falling sick as hope continue to dashed month-in, month-out.

By Idris Ojoko