Africa Value Awards Gives Reason Why Ganduje’s Name Cannot Be Remove

The organisers of the Africa Value Awards, Value Reorientation and Development Initiative Africa have explained why, in the face of criticisms, it cannot remove the name of the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, from its list of 2018 awardees.

In recent times, several video clips have been published by an online medium, Daily Nigerian, showing the governor receiving bundles of dollar notes in what appeared to be bribe payments from contractors.

However, the governor made it to the list of the Africa Value Awards 2018 for “effective leadership and economic empowerment and development.”

According to Punch, the annual awards, established to honour performing African presidents, governors, legislators and captains of industries, among others, will hold on Saturday in Abuja.

When asked if the awards’ organisers were bothered about allegations of bribery levelled against Ganduje, the chairman, planning committee of the 2018 awards, Ambassador Daniel Obah, said they had no powers to remove the governor’s name from the honourees’ list despite the criticisms.

He explained that the governor was selected through an online voting – just like other awardees, including Rwandan President, Paul Kagame; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Obah said, “The truth is, we have different categories of awardees, and in terms of youth and economic empowerment, the governor won in the entire North. We were not even the one who chose him as the winner; he won through an online voting that was carried out nationwide.

“Meanwhile, we can’t go on to remove the governor’s name because of criticisms. Many people have alleged that we collected bribe from him, but this is a lie.

“He won through voting. We are not the court of law to say he is corrupt. We can’t deny him the award because of that.

“We should know that no court of law has pronounced him guilty of all the allegations levelled against him.”