Envy is a terrible affliction following the completion of the appointment of Bello Usman as the new treasurer of Musawa Local Government. Some envious individuals among the staff of Musawa Local Government in Katsina State have openly displayed envy, frustration, and complaints over claims that an employee without a background in finance was transferred to serve as the local government treasurer.
A key leader in the local government workers' union from Musawa, who requested anonymity during an unscheduled visit to the Katsina Times newspaper office, led some of his fellow workers to voice their grievances.
The workers stated that the appointee, Bello Usman, holds a degree in Public Administration, which they argued is not a finance-related discipline. However, they forgot—or failed—to mention the nature of the duties Bello Usman has been performing in the local government over a long period.
Bello Usman is currently a Senior Accountant in the finance department of the local government, having worked in the department since 1995. Yet, the bitterness of envy prevented them from recognizing his qualifications back then, only doing so now that this career progression has come his way.
Beyond all these details, before Bello was appointed to this position, the authorities vetted him and conducted thorough background checks to confirm his suitability before entrusting him with the role. Yet, an enemy of Musawa Local Government and an enemy of our APC government has come forward directly criticizing those who carried out this process. This is an act of indiscipline, and we strongly condemn it.
They stated that they submitted evidence to Katsina Times regarding the appointee's academic qualifications and competence.
According to them, there are qualified staff members in the Finance Department of Musawa Local Government who hold degrees and other professional qualifications in finance, alongside extensive work experience.
“If an assessment were conducted in this field, there are staff members who are highly skilled and suitable for this position,” said one of the workers. However, despite being aware of these experienced individuals, they failed to highlight them until the issue of appointing a new treasurer arose.
Furthermore, they alleged that such workers were bypassed in favor of someone they claim comes from a completely different discipline to become the local government treasurer. The workers also alleged that the new appointee is facing challenges in performing functions related to his office, claiming that certain tasks have ground to a halt while he attempts to grasp how the job is done.
According to them, this move violates the principles of merit and competence that they believe the Katsina State Governor is striving to uphold. They appealed to the Governor of Katsina State to order an investigation into the matter and take appropriate action.
This is why these individuals are roaming everywhere, contacting anyone they believe holds political influence, lodging complaints solely to see the new Treasurer removed for personal reasons.
The delegation added, “Those who are qualified and studied finance should be given the opportunity to handle the job, while he should be given a position suitable for the discipline he studied.”
They stated that taking such action would ensure fairness in Musawa Local Government and improve its operational efficiency. The workers also noted that there is discontent and anxiety among some staff regarding this decision, which they warned could affect operations and potentially carry political ramifications for the area.
Katsina Times attempted to reach the Chairman of Musawa Local Government for comments on the allegations, but he did not answer calls placed to his phone. Similarly, a text message was sent to him, but as of the time of filing this report, he had not responded.
The newspaper also contacted the spokesperson for the Katsina State Local Government Service Commission, Alhaji Bishir, who stated that he was unaware of the allegations.
However, he advised any employee with a grievance regarding a worker posted to their station to submit a formal written complaint. He added that if the complaint is submitted through the proper channels, the relevant authorities will hear the aggrieved party and review the matter.
However, as of the completion of this report, no written complaint has been received from the workers.
