Abdulsalami Abdulfatai Sokoto
Former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has set aside sun of one Billion naira for the newly established Bafarawa foundation.
The former governor while launching the foundation in Sokoto on Wednesday, in a ceremony held in his house and tagged “Giving Back” said it was part of his way to pay back to the people of the state who gave him opportunity to serve as two term governor in the state
Speaking in his remarks, the former governor said, “A little over 25 years ago, an overwhelming majority of the voting population of Sokoto State gave me their mandate to serve them as their first executive governor after the locust years of military incursion into politics.
“Four years after, they renewed the mandate by electing me into office for a second term. I did not and do not take this show of love by the people for granted. I appreciate very immensely the historic opportunity they gave me to serve them as governor for eight years. The trust and confidence which the people had for me made this possible.
“In the years that I served as governor, I did my utmost best to ensure that dividends of democracy were delivered to the people. My government recorded infrastructural landmarks, particularly in the area of road construction. I ensured that the resources of the state were prudently managed.
“It was against this background that I left a whopping N13 billion in the coffers of Sokoto State Government by the time I left office in 2007”
Bafarawa further said, “I must confess that I entertain some mixed feelings each time I look back to my years as governor. While acknowledging the people’s love and solidarity, I feel that I can do more in the area of giving back to the people.
“As the executive governor of Sokoto State, I was entrusted with the resources of the people.
“Given the enormous powers of an executive governor, the temptation to transgress is always there. It is therefore possible that one may have taken one action or the other that did not serve the best interest of the general public.
“In other words, one could, through acts of omission or commission, misappropriate funds that could have gone into productive and rewarding ventures. Thoughts of scenarios such as this could be troubling.
“They prick the conscience. This situation, in my opinion, calls for restitution. I feel the urge to reconnect in some other ways with the people for a lost opportunity. I consider this necessary in order for one to make peace not only with the people but also with the Almighty.
“This latent sense of missed opportunity is what drives my giving back philosophy. Regardless of whatever effort that I may have made to improve the lot of the people while in office, the fact remains that I, just like any other human being, have my drawbacks.
“I may therefore not have lived up to everyone’s expectation. Consequently, I seek the face of the people afresh in this regard. Personally, I ask for forgiveness, as I have always done, in whatever area I fell short of the people’s expectations”
