FINTIRI’S THREATS TO KILL: The Making Of A Dictator

• How Journalist exposes Fintiri’s threats to kill dissenting views

• Fintiri is dictatorial, reckless says Sen Elisha Abo

By Mike John Odeh and Maryam Musa

Ever since he became the Governor of Adamawa State barely two years ago, Ahmadu Umar Fintiri has stumbled from one form of controversy to the other. Apart from such avoidable controversy and scandals, there are equally stories to tell about alleged instances of corruption and corrupt enrichment involving the Adamawa No.one citizen.

Less than one year after coming into office, the big story that suggest that the allegations of corrupt enrichment against Mr. Fintiri might be true is the complete demolition of his personal house and the ongoing construction of a gigantic edifice. Many wondered why now? Why didn’t he demolished and start building a new, elaborate home since becoming the governor?

The award for the construction of an unneeded flyover in a town with no or very limited traffic and how the price was inflated according to experts has subjected the hitherto integrity of the highly emotional and temperament Governor under serious scrutiny even among his dare hard supporters.

The controversy and scandals of the last couple of days, how Governor Fintiri descended so low to act like a typical political thug, threatening dissenting voices has exposed his dictatorial tendencies and what to expect from such typical behaviors if he manages to get second term which is highly unlikely if the unfolding development against his character, leadership qualities, impatience, lack of maturity, acts of thuggery is anything to go by.

Prior to his emergence as governor, Mr. Fintiri has succeeded in giving a false impression about himself to the Adamawa electorate. He presented himself as a full democrat that recognizes and appreciates the rights of citizens under democracy. More so, he has endeared himself to the people by demonstrating what has now become a cosmetic human relations and a simplicity that was never real.

Mr. Fintiri is now sadly beginning to realise that power is after all not a source of happiness while there is indeed the limit of what money and influence can do in life. Whether he will learn from such painful realities to prevent his imminent political fall as 2023 gradually approaches remains to be seen. But has perhaps became very clear to Adamawa people is that the governor they have so much hope for has derailed even before reaching his second year in office.

The Governor, whom many in his state have accused of highhandedness, arrogance, brutality, self-seeking and alleged corruption, has allegedly committed another act capable of putting lives of journalists, citizens in danger. Journalism has been the target of Fintiri’s government since coming into office.

It is now virtually impossible for any Adamawa resident Journalist representing any paper to report the so called negative story against Mr. Fintiri or his government without subjecting such person or media house to all forms of blackmail, threats and intimidation.

An exclusive investigation which DESERT HERALD undertook revealed that the Governor had for sometimes now been stalking journalists and other media practitioners and threatening them.

The embarrassing telephone conversations where Governor Fintiri outrightly threatened and even vowed to kill a dissenting voice is no longer news as it has gone viral throughout last week. Like most mediums, DESERT HERALD has captured the audios. It reveals so much about the antics of the government and the governor against any form of descent or opposition.

The audios equally reveals that on several occasions either the Governor or some of his allies would called journalists who had written articles, stories deemed unfavorable by the governor, berate the journalist(s) and threaten them sometimes with death.

That was how the government succeeded in compromising the greater majority of journalists in the state. DESERT HERALD was also a victim of such threats, abuse of office, blackmail and intimidation.

The Adamawa SSG was the arrowhead behind the campaign of blackmail against DESERT HERALD but the Publisher as usual stood his ground and insisted that the tradition of reporting the good, the bad and even the ugly which the paper is known for must not be compromised under any circumstances and should be a no go area.

Immediately after the #EndSARS protests, riots and looting of properties and warehouses thought to be containing palliatives meant for ordinary citizens of the state were witnessed.

Perhaps in a quest to recover some of the looted properties, Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri even issued an unusual and rather illegal Executive Order which would see law enforcement personnel embark on house to house search for the looted COVID-19 palliatives.

This threat would later become a source of what is now developing as a big political scandal. In addition to that, the Governor in a surprise move has also threatened to demolish any house they find the palliatives in and revoke its rights of occupancy.

This is even as the Governor did not convince his poverty ravaged people about his flimsy reasons of delaying the distribution of the food items. They said the excuse given by Mr. Fintiri is shameful and insensitive in view of the difficulties and virtual food crisis the citizens are facing.

On Thursday, 29 October 2020, Governor Fintiri got the phone number of one Hussaini Gambo Na Kura, a journalist based in Yola. The Governor was said to have called the person on phone and then went on to heap insults on the journalist, while threatening to deal with him physically.

The conversation, which ensued in Hausa language, was recorded by Gambo and it reads:

Governor Fintiri- Hussain, walahi I willl deal with you personally.

Hussain- Your Excellency, what happened?

Governor Fintiri- I said I will deal with you physically if you ever write anything about me again. I swear, I am going to harm you and nobody will be able to help you.

Hussain- What have I done?

Governor Fintiri – don’t ever call my name again.

DESERT HERALD gathered that the Adamawa State Governor was incensed by the interview granted to Voice of America, VOA by Na Kura in which he explained what caused citizens of the state to break into Government warehouses, carted away bags of grains and other food items meant to be distributed to residents as covid 19 palliatives.

Hussain Gambo Na Kura explained that government officials had deliberately locked up Covid- 19 palliatives in warehouses without distributing them to the intended persons in the state.

This, he added, caused extreme hunger and poverty in the state, and when the opportunity came, the masses broke into the warehouses and stole grains and other items they could lay their hands on.

He further revealed that a security guard attached to one of the warehouses claimed that Governor Fintiri has not paid them their salaries for over six months.

This situation, the journalist claimed, has helped heightened the peoples’ quest to steal palliatives when the opportunity came.

According to sources close to the Governor, Fintiri vowed that he would deal or inflict bodily damage on Na Kura for that interview. The source also claimed that the Governor believed that Na Kura was working with his political opponents to discredit him.

Kura also revealed that the threat of an Executive Order by the Governor would work effectively if Adamawa indigenes are well catered for, assuaged and assured by the Governor that they would henceforth be well catered for.

However, further investigation in the state reveals that Hussain Gambo Na Kura had actually spoken the truth as regards the situation in Adamawa state.

ZIdon Joe, an Adamawa indigene, lent credence to Na Kura’s assertion.

He said “I live close to a particular warehouse which houses thousands of bags and cartons of the palliatives meant for distribution to the poor.

“Do you believe that every night pickup vans numbering four would come and pick up rice, corn and cartoons of Indomie noodles?

“It is also a fact that these items are rebagged and sold to the public and those engaging in such sick practices are government officials.”

Ibrahim Yola, a trader resident in Jimeta, had this to say: “Throughout the period of lockdown, palliatives were only distributed to people on radio, television and front pages of newspapers.

“We did not get even a sachet of indomie noodles, yet the governor and his men would claim that so and so quantity of palliatives were given out.”

Indeed, the revelation by Kogi state Governor, Yahaya Bello, that Federal Government doled out the sum of N1 billion to each state Governor to help citizens cushion the effects of Covid- 19 has done considerable damage to Governor Fintiri’s credibility in the sense that he had maintained a studious silence over the grant.

Political observers in the state also revealed that the Governor had severally exhibited aggressive tendencies to any one that dares to criticize him.

Tom Garba, an Adamawa based journalist and owner of a local online medium, TGNews, was another victim of Fintiri’s death threat and umbrage.

Last year, Tom Garba was reported to have received a phone call from the Government House in the state from one Steve Maduwa.

Steve Maduwa, who is a personal friend of Fintiri and aide, then threatened to kill Mr. Garba over a publication which TGNews carried.

According to Mr.Garba, Fintiri’s voice could be heard in the background telling Maduwa what to say.

The recorded audio of the phone conversation goes:

Governor’s aide-If you ever write anything about Fintiri, whether good or bad, I will deal with.

Tom Garba- What is the matter, your Excellency?

Governor’s aide- In your capacity as a journalist, I will cut you up (behead) if you write anything again on Fintiri.

Tom Garba- what is the problem sir?

Governor’s aide – Wallahi, Tallahi, you are a fool and I will slit your throat. .

Tom Garba- OK, I heard you; but where are you now?

Governor’s aide- Why do you want to know my whereabout, fool?

Tom Garba – So that I can come for you to behead me.

Governor’s aide- As a Kaduna man, when El Rufai nominated a Muslim as his running mate, what did you say? I will deal with you I told you.

Tom Garba- Thanks for the insults, Mr Governor.

Analysts revealed that the Governor had on several occasions complained bitterly about how biased TGNews has been to him.

The publication that drew Governor Fintiri’s annoyance was titled “I See The Expectations Of Adamawa Christians Dashing Off In Fintiri-Led Administration-Steven’

The publication reads: A People’ Democracy Party (PDP) loyalist who claimed staunch support to the elected Governor of Adamawa state, Rt Hon Ahmadu Umar Fintiri said he sees the hope and expectations of Christians in the state dashing off in the PDP led administration under Fintiri.

Steven Adamu, who because of his serious hate of APC and immediate past government under Sen Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindo said he used his resources to sponsor himself and many others to all the 21 LGAs in the state campaigning for Fintiri.

According to him, majority of Christians in the state massively voted against APC and worked for the success of the PDP in the state but things seem to start turning up against them at the first appointment done by Fintiri.

Adamu revealed that the transition committee is the first indicator of the plans of Fintiri Government to sideline Christians in the state.

He worry that Christians were hoping to see the post of SSG coming from their side but Governor Fintiri ended up appointing one of his Muslim closest friends, in person of Engr Bashir Ahmad. Bashir Ahmad they said has become a liability to the Governor and has neither assisted his Muslim constituency not to talk of the Christians.

“Now as I’m talking to you the fate of Christians on who becomes the next Chief of Staff in this PDP government is hanging on the air; we can’t be confident in the major leadership of the state.

“Honestly Bindo government was much better because only a few Christians worked for APC then, but they were included in the formation of the government and we can say that there were notable appointments done to consider them.

Obviously, Governor Umar Fintiri could not distinguish between who filed the report or the person that made the statement, so he decided to vent his anger on Tom Garba through Steve Maduwa.

As can be gleaned from Tom Garba’s report, most of the political actors that helped to catapult the Governor to power have been alienated by his reckless style of governance.

Early this year, Umar Ardo has condemned the appointment of 65 Special Assistants as wasteful and would not add value to the state.

The Scope, an Adamawa State-owned weekly newspaper, early this year published a report that Governor Fintiri had appointed 34 Special Advisers as well as 31 Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants, bringing to 65 the number of such political appointees made by the governor.

However, the appointments were greeted with disdain.

Umar Ardo, who had contested against Fintiri in the party primaries, said the appointees would add no value but would only contribute to deplete the state coffers.

He stated, “I just sympathize with the poor masses of Adamawa State. If you go through the list, you will see it is virtually the same group of people who always depend on the state treasury for their survival that have now been brought back to come and continue what they know best – take from the state treasury without adding any value to the state.”

Such is the state of acrimony between the Governor and many of the stakeholders in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Political observers are also watching keenly the duel between Governor Fintiri and another PDP stalwart – Senator Elisha Abo.

Abo, who is the Senator representing Adamawa, is also up in arms against the Governor whom he accuses of being dictatorial and divisive.

“As a result of Fintiri’s pettiness and dictatorship in governance and party affairs in Adamawa State, PDP is not only in intensive care unit in the state, but on life support machine for survival.

“The Governor is running the party in the state like a gangster and I don’t and will never eat on the same table with dictators,” he said.

As of the time of filing in this report, this reporter has spoken to Solomon Kumangar, the Chief Press Officer to the Governor, who promised to give a robust reply to all the allegations before DESERT HERALD concludes the report. However, he has not gotten back as he promised up to press time.

Insiders told DESERT HERALD that embattled Governor Fintiri has now become an angry lion, easily to be provoke even when as a ‘Democrat’ he supposed to show decorum and maturity.

Certainly, if the Governor did not adopt a more robust, diplomatic, friendly and matured attitude and approach in dealing with opposition and other dissenting voices, his political fall ahead of 2023 is imminent and he will go down in the history of Adamawa State as a Governor that came from nowhere, supported by many with so much hopes and expectations but offered very little.