A disagreement over a over $20,000 gift to Dandalin Siyasa Online Forum, a vigorous Northern Nigeria online discussion forum, is said to be tearing the group apart.
A disagreement over a over $20,000 gift to Dandalin Siyasa Online Forum, a vigorous Northern Nigeria online discussion forum, is said to be tearing the group apart.
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The largesse was doled out at the weekend in Dutse, capital of Jigawa State, by Governor Sule Lamido, following the group’s annual meeting in the city.
Our source said that the members were led on a courtesy visit to the governor, who gave the money as “transport fare,” by a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Alhaji Umaru Dembo.
The members present, however, allegedly shared $18,000 among themselves. When the information reached the other members who were not there, they expressed irritation as they saw the entire matter as having compromised the group’s integrity and independence.
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Some of them, according to our source, insisted that the money be returned to the governor. Others are said to have accused the members who made the visit as “insensitive” for collecting and sharing the money instead of handing it over to the forum on whose behalf they had visited the governor in the first place.
Following these developments, the management of the forum has now given a 24-hour ultimatum to members involved to return their share of the money.
That message was, however, quickly challenged by Alhaji Dembo, who, in a terse statement, told the affected members not return their share of the money as he would refund the money on their behalf.
Our source further said noted that Alhaji Dembo, in a post in the forum, noted that he has already booked an appointment with Governor Lamido at which he will return the controversial $20,000 which has generated controversy all day today in the forum.
Below is the full text of the message to that effect sent by the group’s legal adviser, Abdullahi Yusuf Imam Imam, to those members who paid the courtesy call on Governor Lamido:
“I am directed by the management team of dandalin siyasa online forum to post its decision on this subject matter.
Immediately after the attention of the management of dandali was called on what had transpired during and after the courtesy visit to Governor Lamido, the management called an emergency meeting and has this to say;
1. That the courtesy visit to Jigawa State Government House was part of the activities scheduled to take place on Friday 28th by 4:30, but it was not done because there was no response then from the Government House.
2. That it was during the evening event on saturday, that the message reached the management through one of the members Lamara that the Governor is inviting dandali members to the government house on Sunday by 10:am.
3. That most of the management team members and members of Dandali foundation BOT were at the Govt house up to 11:30am, but for one reason or the other the Governor did not show up for the visit at the scheduled time. Most of the members including some management team members left for their respective unavoidable reasons.
4. That Chairman appointed the most senior member and member of BOT Alhaji Umaru Dembo to lead the delegation and handed over the speech to him to be delivered during the visit.
5. That the delegation were representing the entire members of dandali at the visit.
6. That non of the management team members were contacted when the delegation collected the sum of $20,000 from Governor Lamido and distributed same among them selves untill arround 5:30pm when the assistant secretary of dandali called Engr Muazu Magaji who happened to be together with chairman at airport and informed them.
Inview of the above, and after making due consultation with members of the dandali, the dandali management team as representatives of the entire members passed the following resolutions;
1. That the action of the delegation to Jigawa Govt House under the leadership of Alhaji Umaru Dembo of sharing the $18,000 among themselves is suppositious and therefore unacceptable.
2. That the management team hereby suspend the Secretary and his assistant from their respective posts till further notice.
3. That the mangement team advise members of the BOT of Dandali foundation to use the appropriate section of the constitution to suspend Alhaji Umaru Dembo from the membership.
4. That all the delegate members are advised to return their respective shares taken from the said amount to dandali management and handover same to Alhaji Uba Danzainab within 24hours from the time this decision was posted.
5. That all delegate members should apologize to the entire members of this forum.
6. The management should handover the money to BOT dandali foundation and apply same to the purpose of foundation.
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