WAMAKKO: DEBATING 2015 ELECTION NOW SIMPLY AN EGO MASSAGE

TAKING A TRIP TO SOKOTO, CAPITAL OF SOKOTO STATE FROM LAGOS IN THESE TIMES OF INSURGENCY IN PARTS OF THE NORTH COMES WITH A VERY HUGECONCERN ON THE SAFETY OF THE VISITOR. BUT THE REALITY ON GROUND PRESENTS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PICTURE OF SERENITY. SOKOTO STATE IS CALM, DEVOID OF THE CHAOTIC LIFESTYLES OF CITIES IN ITS AXIS AND HAS A FAIR SHARE OF DEMOCRACY DIVIDEND WITH PRACTICALLY ZERO POTHOLES ON THEROADS IN THE METROPOLIS.

THE TRIO OF COLLINS EDOMARUSE, ROLAND OGBONNAYA AND AHAMEFULA OGBU INSPECTED VARIOUS PROJECTS EXECUTED BY THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION IN THE STATE, HAD AN EXTENSIVE DRIVE ON HUNDREDS OF KILOMETRES OF ASPHALTED ROADS (CALLED DUNLOP BY THE LOCALS) AND  SPOKE WITH GOVERNOR ALIYUMAGATARKARDAWAMAKKO ON SUNDRY ISSUES. HE FEELS THAT WITH GOOD LEADERSHIP AND FEAR OF GOD, NIGERIA HAS ALL IT TAKES TO OVERTAKE MOST ADVANCED ECONOMIES. EXCERPTS

In what condition did you meet the State in terms of infrastructural development; what is the condition now and where do you hope to take it at the end of your tenure?
Well, as a matter of fact I would not  go out condemning what I met; what I am doing is that I am building on what I met because  in governance, what you do  is that you try your best and do your own when you are there and the next person will come and do his own.
Having saidthat, let me inform you that I have been in government for the last 41 years. I am the 15th governor and I have worked with all the other 14 governors who have served the state, both military and civilian. So when I came in, I didn’t have to go out asking what are the concerns of the people because I have always been involved as a civil servant, politician and so on.

It was a little bit easy for me to know where to start, what to do first, what to do next and what to do last and that is why when I came in, of course there were challenges in so many angles like in education, about enrolment, infrastructure, teachers’ welfare, students’ welfare, poor and low level drinking water which was 8 million litres per dayas against 42 million litres required and all kinds of indices. But along the line, by the grace of God, we were able to change that trend.

Today, I can conveniently tell you that we are trying our best. The education challenge has been addressed in the angle of infrastructure, the angle of teacher motivation and welfare, the angle of student welfare requirement and so many training and retraining programmesand many other areas that needed to be addressed.

Equally, in the area of drinking water, within the capital and other parts of the state, the requirement of the capital was 42 million and I think we were getting like 8 million litres per day, so I went physically to the water board and said, tell me your challenges, I want an uninterrupted and full supply of drinking water to the municipality and its environs; tell me the requirements I will give you. They said, okay sir, we are assuring you we have the know-how to put back our broken plants to meet your demands. If you can give us the required funding we can do it and I said okay. Here we are, put it in writing and give it to me; let us sign a bond, whatever you want I will give you but all I want is uninterrupted and adequate water supply to the municipality and its environs.

After one and half years of huge investments, I was not satisfied with what I saw. So I had to appoint a task force under retired honourable civil servants and gave them all they required to provide the water and within six months, we were able to reach as high as 32 million litres per day, which means we were getting closer to our targets.

So I said we should not rely on one intake because this intake was done about 30 years ago;let’s try to have a second intake, which will take care of increasing population and demand of the city and that was how we put up our second water intake at Asare where we are going to produce 22 million litres of water per day. It has been built and by the end of this month, it must be totally completed and put to use. We are using underground water. We have put in all the money for chemicals and all that we need. Thank God we are almost there.

This applies to so many other sectors. I don’t want to summarise  all but what I have said is in a nutshell how we started, taking stock of where we are  and our programme of where we want to go from there and thank God we are able to make a beautiful, meaningful and rewarding journey, which is  fully being appreciated by communities across the state and any right thinking Nigerian,  who visits our state will say that yes, we are doing our best against the backdrop of where  we have come from in terms of education, infrastructure and other things.

The Uthman Dan Fodio University is here yet you are building your own university, what spurred you into that?
Well, you know that the demand for university education is also on the increase. You see the population of Nigeria today, in each state of the country, anywhere you go, there has to be serious planning for these young Nigerians now before it becomes a problem for the entire nation. The Uthman Dan Fodio University is a federal university that is serving only as a catchment area for our people; it doesn’t belong to us. It cannot by any standard meet our own requirement. We have to use some other universities to just make up for our requirement in terms of university education.
The fact is that we are not getting space for a quarter of our citizens, who require admission into universities. So, I thought I have an obligation to find an option for the state.

When we came in, the first set of students that sat for JAMB was like 3,000 but as I am talking to you, we have reached about 16,000 to 17,000; so you can see why it is obvious we have to plan ahead. We are acting as a responsible and responsive government and respecting the yearnings and aspirations of our electorates. We are not only building the university, we are also putting together three other tertiary institutions in the state. Another one is College of Agriculture at Iworonu for the training of middle level agriculture manpower required to boost agriculture in the state. We must diversify the economy by investing in agriculture as a country otherwise we will soon be realising our mistake in a hard way. Also, we have a College of Midwifery in Tambuwal, meant to provide middle level manpower required in the entire state. There is a College of Legal Studies, which also aims at providing middle level manpower requirement in our judiciary and other areas of need.

Also, in an attempt to ensure that our children on getting out of secondary schools are given an opportunity to reach the higher level. We have also gone further to send some of them to universities abroad in the UK, US, Asia, in the Middle East and many other places, even in some African universities like in Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, even Niger and also Ghana. As I am talking to you, we are about signing an agreement with a University in Uganda that is going to admit between 100 and 200  Sokoto State indigenes and holders of  NCE certificates to pursue  their first degree in education. So, these and many more are aimed at addressing that sector after having addressed the basic  requirement of infrastructure in schools, teacher motivation and welfare, student welfare  and other things that need to be addressed.

What areas would you say are your strongest in terms of development?
There are several areas that I have excelled. One is education, another is healthcare delivery, while the others include youth empowerment, agriculture and transport. That does not mean that other areas are neglected. They are also being addressed but the listed areas are where the marks are more. As I am talking to you now, I have built more than 1,000 kilometers of road across the state. Also, each Local government has a complete set of road building equipment, complete brand new equipment, loaders, graders, rollers, tankers, all the equipment they need. Each local government has them to compliment our own efforts and we are doing bridges where they are needed.

We have taken over projects that were abandoned 30, 40 years ago, that have proved difficult to address. The OsilameBridge, for example, defied solutions to successive military and civilian regimes but we were able to do it. Like the WornoHutiBridge and roads; they were on the drawing board since the first civilian government in this country, but we were able to do it in all these areas and many more. We are trying to ensure we open more and more areas of the state for easy movement of goods and services to improve the

economy of the state and fight rural-urban drift by way of getting people to stay in their locations and do what is best needed of them. Like many of our youths in the past tried to leave to the urban centers but now in every village, no matter how remote, you have electricity, you have good roads, you have potable water, so what else do you require to leave your village and go to another urban area or so.

Did you meet any debt from the previous administration?
Yes I met a little but it was not enough to stop me from executing my programmes. What I inherited was a liability of few billions of naira but that should not be a reason for me not to perform. I don’t want to go into those areas because people take it as excuse not to perform. No matter what liability you met, if you use your brain wisely, prioritise with the little resources you have, I think you will make some reasonable progress. Take the good programmes of the past regime, put in what you have and also carry them along.

How much have you borrowed in the course of executing all these projects?
I am afraid I have not taken any loan so far; no, never! Even recently there were some moves to take some loans, I think by the ADB and I said no, I am not looking for any loan. The Minister called me and I said no I don’t want any loan. The only loan I took was this counterpart-funding, which we are compelled to take to compare what you get or for the MDG warrants. Otherwise, I did not take any loan.

What is the internally generated revenue like?
It is fair. Compared to our situation here, it is fair.

How much per month?
It is fair enough (laughs)

We are asking because it is possible that you are getting less than some states, yet it has not affected your project delivery efforts as we saw during our drive around some local government areas…
Well, I want people to understand that it is not the amount of money you have that is working. What is working is the mind, the commitment, discipline, the understanding of the issues at stake and the understanding that what you are doing today will stand for you long after you are gone. So, with that in mind, one has to use the resources at his disposal wisely, prudently and justifiably with the fear of God.

At the last count, over 150 awards have been given to you. What challenges have they posed to you, which of them do you cherish most and why?
These awards create fresh challenges because they charge you to work harder. That is how I see them. To be honoured by an NGO anywhere, either in Nigeria or outside,to me, is a call to do more, not to say I have been recognised; let me rest, no, no, no.
Equally, I cherish all those honours given unto me either in this country or beyond. But those I cherish more are the two recently awarded to me sometime last year. One, the government of Niger, our neighboring country, gave  me their highest national honour they give to anybody, the Grand Member of the Order of Niger (GMON); equally, just last year, an Islamic body based in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, gave me a membership, that is Muslim World League.

I think the last person that was given that honour was the late Ahmadu Bello, after him, nobody in this country was ever given that honour. I cherish all others but these two are in the fore front. I however thank those that gave me one honour or the other and I feel highlyhonouredby what they have done for me by choosing me for such honours.
As I am talking to you, I am going to take another honour in Geneva this year, Geneva International Law School of Diplomacy has awarded me a doctorate degree (honoriscausa). It is always an honour and I thank God for those honours here and there but like I said, to me they are meant to make me work harder because someone is always watching you, assessing you, reading you, evaluating you.

You have barely two years to go, what projects would you be in a hurry to complete that you have not even started?
I am not sure there is any project that I have not started, which I feel so dear about. I have many of them that I am working to complete, especially this year. I know the year after is going to be a year of politics. All my important projects, I have reached a level in this year. Next year we will be able to do some politics and some more work.

Can you prioritise?
Well, in terms of the ones I am trying to complete is the second phase of my university, all the ongoing  higher institutions, the three of them; the Murtala Mohammed Hospital, theOrthopedic Center in Wamakko, NYSC permanent orientation camp, amusement park, ultra modern abattoir, new Samnoyo management plant, Joint livestock programme with Argentina on livestock, we are about signing an agreement between us and the government of Turkey on all year round farming on a land bordering Sokoto and Kebbi State, about 25,000 hectares of land, which is going to be  farmed all year round and others that I cannot easily  recall as they are too numerous to mention. We intend to do more and finish more and move on.

To Abuja?
No no. If you have a mandate you have not finished, the best is to do your best as much as you can. You don’t stay here and start thinking of where next to go, You do your best first with the mandate you have.

Your state has an advantage in agriculture, did it form part of your priority?
Of course, that was why I said since we came in we tried to look at the needs of our farmers in terms of  agric equipment, improved varieties, improved herbicides, pesticides, fertiliser and all other things they needed. We began by procuring large number of tractors and other farm implements needed. We give our farmers fertiliser on loan to pay on harvest.

Right now we have enough tractors for any number of potential farmers that would want to come and take a loan, N400,000,  and take a tractor and pay on monthly basis until you are able to repay all. We have brought in Argentina on this livestock production. If you go to our communities we distributed over 50,000 irrigation pumping machines across the state, some on loan, some free. We also gave fertiliser across the state to compliment efforts of both the federal, local and stakeholders in our attempt to ensure that we boost agriculture to the level where our people will be more empowered, reasonably engaged and gainfully employed in their various locations.

By so doing, we are indirectly fighting against idleness;and we are fighting against drug abuse by our youths. We are also fighting against rural-urban drift because our people are engaged in their own local communities, so rather than move to the cities looking for what to do there they stay back there.

Are you under any form of pressure ruling the seat of the Caliphate?
Well, I am not ruling, I am leading. I don’t believe in rulership, I believe in leadership. Rulership is the big man dictatorialism; leadership is when people’s opinions are taken into consideration in policy execution. That is what we are doing in Sokoto, running a government with a listening ear, a government that has respect for the yearnings and aspirations of the governed.
To the extent that I feel I have demystified governance, the people have to say that now, the governor is their servant and not the other way round. The governor serves them and they give their loyalty to the governor. That is why you don’t see security harassing you here and equally I drive myself alone. I don’t have a single bullet proof car, we don’t need them here, we are not underany stress.

See what I do, when there is any report of any problem in the state, I call the Commissioner of Police, the Army Commander and the Director of SSS and I personally drive myself to the spot to see for myself. In almost all the reported complaints, they all turned out to be false. People warn me that I could get killed but if I die in the cause of serving the people, what better death can a man die than that? This place is safe and we are living like brothers and sisters but when you go outside, people will be talking about here without coming to see things for themselves. Thank God you people have seen how serene this place is. I drive myself till the wee hours of the morning inspecting projects without any security.

How have you been able to keep the state free from attacks taking into consideration what is happening in your neighboringstates?
People need to be taken on board when you are their leader. Like I said, their views must be collated and form part of your policy planning and execution. When people feel respected by their leader, they also in turn respect him, they follow him, they adore him, they even watch him, it is only a matter of make yourself open to opinions, contributions. Just a while ago, an indigene of Sokotosent a text to me from Kano and gave me an advice that I feel is so good and tomorrow (Thursday, March 21) Insha Allah, I am going to start implementing that advice. He said I should invite all the bank managers and give each aroundabout to beautify by planting flowers and maintaining it, that will help in beautifying the city and it is a good idea. They have been helping but this is one area I feel they will want to do with honour.

So, I listen to advice and reply at least 400 mails per day, I take a minimum of 1,000 calls per day, I read through all of them and I ensure that every day of my life, I reply not less than 300 texts, so I can hear people’s wishes and aspirations.
However, we rely on prayers; we have always relied on the Almighty Allah for protection against all forms of evil. We pray fervently all the time, Allah has been merciful on us in Sokoto.

Do you link that to the favourable security situation in the state?
What I am saying is that people need to understand their leaders and vice versa. There should be that confidence, that mutual respect, that mature respect between the leader and the led. With that understanding, you can get information, you can preempt negative intentions but when you are checked, you don’t hear what is happening, even people won’t even know how to reach you  and at times you miss some vital information that you need in planning and taking proactive measures in some situations.

When people act as rulers when they should be leaders, then there is a problem. Also we don’t discriminate here. Our free education is for everybody because my government is not operating anything like indigenship or non indigene policy; every Nigerian is welcome to Sokoto State as home. The person handling our Independent power plant is from AkwaIbom State, the person handling our permanent orientation camp is  fromAnambra State; the man handling the Murtala Mohammed Hospital is from Delta State and the person handling our water project is from Imo State and nobody asks you in Sokoto where you come from, just come and live peacefully, you have protection and sense of belonging.

With them being on the same boat with me, we get valuable information, piece them together and ensure that we are not taken by surprise. We all have the same level of commitment to ensuring safety as equal stakeholders in the state and it is paying off.

What informed your building of an Almajiri school long before the federal government bought into the scheme?
First of all, I have to tell you the meaning I ascribe to Almajiri. Some people think it is a group of violent less privileged, but I see them as a people in want of knowledge which their parents cannot give them; children of the less privileged.So I built that school to provide them a platform to have the knowledge they seek and to ensure that they learn in a balanced manner to fit in religiously and socially.
With the school, the children can be in a better environment while they are being thought and fed and thought communication skills to fit them into proper and contemporary society. So we provide an environment to teach them and give them brighter future.

What programmes do you have for the Youths?
Talking of youths, since we came in we have a vision that I used, to give them one training or another to give them a meaningful life;  to be respectable members of the society but not to embrace crime and violence.We have so many youth programmes across the state in local government areas, state capital and all other parts of the state for both males and female and we have trained thousands of children and got them land where they are doing one vocation or the other.

Do you think that the call for the review of revenue sharing formula is justified?
There are a lot of things that have fallen on the shoulders of states that make it necessary to review the revenue sharing formula as states have more responsibilities, some of which are supposed to be on the exclusive list. We have soldiers, police, air force and civil defence and we have to provide them with assistance to do their work well. There are certain things, duties that the states are shouldering and should be left to them and more resources granted them to execute those duties. That does not mean we have to wait for the review before we carry out development programmes. We should work with what we have until that happens.

What do you think is the problem of Nigeria?
The problems of Nigeria are numerous in number, but one of the most fundamental is insincerity and dishonesty on the part of leadership, fear of God on the part of leadership,lack of needed support and understanding on the part of followership, so  no matter how good your programmes are, unless you are honest and with the fear of God, you cannot achieve anything.

But let me tell you, Nigeria is a country blessed by God in so many ways, human capital, multiple mineral resources, and vast arable land for agriculture and also Nigerians are very talented and very hard working. All it requires is focus, sincere and honest leadership to take the country to the Promised Land.

You are a PDP governor, recently there was the formation of PDP governors forum, do you think that forum was necessary?
That is a PDP matter. What you are talking about has already taken place so I don’t think we should be talking about it.

Taking into cognissance your method of handling the internal security of your sate, don’t you think that having a state police will enhance it, make the police in the state more effective and under your control?

It might be desirable for better security but with the way and manner we have played politics with it, I don’t think we are ready for it or that it will be fair we have state police now but when we get to the point we can do it. The problem with Nigeria is that we tend to copy things overnight; we don’t want to follow the steps others followed to the point. The order is good but the way and manner we play the game is a problem. When we get to that stage, no one can stop it. The police we have now is not properly equipped, not well trained and you want to bring more, how will it work? We should first of all train and equip the police we have andlet’s see how  they respond to our needs, then we go to the next step.

At times we are in a hurry. The nations we want to copy did not grow overnight, they grew and developed over time and with time we will get there. I am confident that in future we will get there.

How true is it that President Jonathan entered into a pact to do one term in office, were you part of the group where this promise was made?
To me, we are only half way into this tenure, let us serve the people now; when the time comes, we will sort that out. Let us not waste our energy on the wrong segment of what will be done in future. We are only half way, two years into this tenure and we are already talking about that. Why do we start talking about that, when the time comes we will do it.

I keep repeating, at times when we talk about politics, we only massage our egos. As a Muslim, it is only God that gives power. When the time comes, we will talk about it and we will do the right thing. See, who is sure of going to be alive till 2015? It is only God that can determine most of these things we are worrying ourselves about.

Culled from This day