Sen. Ali Wakili: Bauchi NASS Members Never Asked For Cars, House From Gov. Abubakar

senator-ali-wakiliThe senator representing Bauchi South on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ali Wakili, has denied the recent allegation by the state governor, Mohammed Abubakar, that National Assembly members from the state asked him to buy houses and cars for them.

Members of the National Assembly from the state led by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, are at loggerheads with Gov. Abubakar.

While the federal lawmakers accuse the governor of mismanaging the N8.6billion bailout funds Bauchi received from the Federal Government, he, in turn, accused them of undermining his administration because he rejected their demands to buy houses and cars for them.

“At a time, the National Assembly members met me in a certain place where they requested that I should buy houses for them in Abuja and luxury jeep cars, but I told them that even if I’m bathing in a pool of money, I cannot afford to meet their demands.

“I’m ready to give them any assistance they may require, but not houses or cars, especially with the present economic predicament”, Mr. Abubakar said in a speech to commemorate Nigeria’s 56th Independence Anniversary.

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But Wakili refuted the governor’s claim, saying it was a mere attempt to denigrate the lawmakers in order to restore his lost popularity from the people of the state over his alleged poor performance and non-payment of workers’ salaries.

The senator made this position known yesterday while speaking to journalists at his residence in Bauchi during distribution of forms to cooperative societies drawn from the seven local government areas in his constituency.

“When has it ever happened in the state where the governors purchased houses for legislators? That is his way of blackmailing us. It is very unfortunate”, Sen. Wakili said.

“We have never demanded him to buy us houses or cars. Our quarrel with the governor hinges on our demand for good governance”, he insisted.

“It is very unfortunate and scandalous that this kind of allegation is coming from a chief executive officer of the state who is expected to be more circumspect than all of us because whatever he says can trigger a chain of reactions”, Senator Wakili said.