"
Hayatu, who was flanked by the leadership of the PDP in the state, accused the governor of inciting those that partook in the fateful procession, noting that Shekarau's utterances led to the killings and destruction of property of non-indigenes.
The senator went on: "Every Moslem knows what God Almighty says about leadership and its responsibilities. We wonder if, as someone who claims to be doing things in accord with the Sharia, Shekarau has reflected on the fact that in the day of judgment, he must account for every live and property lost, especially when it was caused by his tactical miscalculation, as Mr. President rightly described his action".
Reacting to an allegation that the PDP members masterminded the May 11 mayhem, he absolved the party of blame, noting that neither members of the party nor the leadership partook in the unfortunate incident.
He called for the setting up of an independent judicial panel of inquiry aimed at bringing to book those that masterminded the mayhem.
He added: "There is just no way Shekarau can exonerate himself or his government from blame in what happened in Kano. It is on record that some very senior members of his government led the procession to Government House.
"It is on record that Shekarau made inflammatory statements when he received the procession. It is on record that it was the governor's tacit support for the group by his unguarded utterances that gingered some people in the procession to unleash a reign of terror".
He, therefore, played a recorded video clip of what he described as incitement of the protesters at the venue of the press briefing, adding he would make it available to any probe panel on the matter.
On the effect of the mayhem, he said it has led to a situation whereby several skilled and unskilled manpower are fleeing the state in droves.
He noted that it was affecting economic activities because those willing to invest in the state could be scared away considering the fact that the state could be perceived as unsafe for investment.
However, Shekarau had in a recent letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo listed steps he had taken in the past to ensure peace in the state.
Dismissing allegations that he was incompetent and shared the blame for the violence, he said: "For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to categorically intimate Mr. President that from the inception of my administration in May 2003, I have taken very concrete and deliberate steps to promote understanding and peaceful coexistence amongst people of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds who inhabit the state in the spirit of national integration and cohesion.
"It may interest Mr. President to note that Kano State has remained a cosmopolitan melting pot for peoples of diverse backgrounds who had co-existed and interacted in perfect harmony, until recent times when a few evil people with vested interests began to manipulate primordial sentiments to harm people and set brother against brother.
"It would, therefore, be uncharitable to suggest or insinuate that my government would ever condone, tolerate or even encourage any act that would put these sterling efforts in jeopardy. It is also noteworthy that since our inception, almost a year ago, there has never been any incident of mob violence until the last one. While under my predecessor, hardly did any month pass without violent eruption in one part of the state or another.
"Mr. President's successful and peaceful visit to Kano on October 13, 2003 and that of the Vice-President on April 17 and 18, 2004, are clear testimonies to this. I am confident that Mr. President will recall that the reverse was the case for him and the Vice-President when they paid similar visits under the leadership of my immediate predecessor in the state".
He added: "Your Excellency, permit me to state without any fear of contradiction that my administration has made deliberate and sustained efforts to create an atmosphere of amity, co-operation and security between the different ethnic and religious groups in my state as could easily be attested to by these groups themselves.
"The Igbo and Yoruba communities and the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kano have publicly acknowledged that they had never experienced such a climate of peace and unfettered unity in the state. In one of their letters of appreciation to me that I find necessary to enclose for Mr. President's further information, the Igbo community in Kano had cause to say "... words alone will not be enough to thank you and your government..."
On his part, Jigawa PDP stalwart said the state can consolidate the gains of the recent presidential visit if Turaki changes his style of leadership to improve the lot of the people.
Speaking with The Guardian in Dutse, the state capital, Jahun expressed dismay over the "shylock attitude" of the governor. Describing his style of leadership as disastrous, he alleged that Turaki has failed the electorate in terms of even development.
"Sincerely speaking, Jigawa is the most backward state in terms of infrastructural facilities like road network, water supply, rural electricity, fertiliser for peasant farmers, non-functional factories and industries, among others.
"The story is the same with the health sector, since the state is lacking a modern and equipped cottage hospital and health centres", he declared
On projects commissioned by President Obasanjo during his recent visit to the state, Jahun said most of them were jointly executed with international donors while others were Federal Government owned.
According to Jahun, the only remedy for Jigawa State is for the governor to settle down and halt his "excessive foreign trips" to face the reality of attending to vital issues that will lead to the state's paid development.
