2019: No strong competitor against Governor Abubakar in Bauchi —Commissioner for Information

Alhaji Ibrahim Umar Sade, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Information in this interview, shed more lights on the activities of the Governor Mohammed Abubakar-led administration in his efforts to take the state to greater heights in terms of socio-economic development. ISHOLA MICHAEL brings excerpts.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) won the Bauchi South Senatorial District by-election. What does the victory portend for the state?

Alhamdulillahi. We first of all thank the Almighty Allah who, in His infinite mercies, gave us the victory. The Bauchi South Senatorial District by-election had manifested Governor Abubakar’s overwhelming grip on Bauchi politics. My governor is vindicated that Bauchi people are people of APC and this clearly shows that the people of Bauchi South Senatorial District have spoken their minds and they are satisfied with the efforts of Governor Abubakar towards the development of the state. He has repelled all the negatives against his administration. The election served as a litmus test to APC and it has brought a resounding hope towards 2019 elections in which, by the grace of Allah, Bauchi people will vote for APC. I believe our governor will not fail the people that gave him their votes in order to better their living condition. Our people understand the zeal and vision of our amiable governor to take development to all nooks and crannies of the state, despite its lean resources.

But the opposition alleged that the election was marred with irregularities?

What are they saying?

That there were electoral malpractices, rigging, inducement of voters with money which led  to the cancelation of election results in so many wards, even as the electoral body confirmed that some election results were cancelled in some polling units across the district…

Let me start with the opposition. All these allegations are words of the losers. Do you think that if the electoral body has declared any of the complainants as the winner of this election under any circumstances would they reject the results? The answer is capital no! They lost and they want to have a place to hang on in order to show to their supporters that they are still relevant. But to be candid, the people of Bauchi have spoken their minds and the election was conducted peacefully without any rancour. Their agents signed all the election results. You journalists were at the headquarters of INEC when the returning officer invited all the representatives of the political parties to sign the final result submitted and all of them have signed. If they have any genuine complaints, thank God there is a tribunal. Whoever is aggrieved and feels he cannot be patient can challenge the election in court.

Some people are accusing the administration of not doing enough in the provision of infrastructure. What is your reaction to this?

Who are these people? Are they the people of Bauchi State or our political opponents? Even blind people and hypocrites know that there is a silent revolution that is putting the state on a proper path through rejuvenation of abandoned sectors. Whenever you enter Bauchi, you will know that you are entering a befitting state capital because of the brand new dualization of road networks across the city. Before the coming of the present administration, we don’t have such roads in the state. Governor Abubakar, during his electioneering campaign, went to the rural areas. He understands the real problems of our people. Majority of them are peasant farmers and they are looking for road networks to enable them transport their farm produce to markets. Hearkening to the agitation of our people and their quest for development, the governor gave priority to road constructions across the state. Road construction contracts were awarded in both the urban and rural areas and government is making effort to open up these communities, through the provision of road networks, to boost their socio-economic development.

The government also gave priority to agriculture, education, health care and it is addressing the problems of youths restiveness inherited from the previous administration. A lot has been done to boost the economy of the state by resuscitating the Bauchi Fertilizer Plant, Bauchi Furniture Company and Yankari Games Reserve. Other areas of the government activities included prudent management of the state resources, blocking leakages in governance and, above all, jerking up the state internally generated revenue (IGR) through the State Board of Internal Revenue where there is a remarkable improvement in revenue generation and blocking leakages that, if the governor had left unblocked, would lead to financial embezzlement and mismanagement of state resources. This is just to mention a few. We are committed to repositioning the state in all aspects. That is the focus of the administration.

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What are the tangible achievements of the administration in those areas you have listed?

Yes, government has achieved a lot but I will be brief. You see, in the area of education, this administration always gives 25 per cent of the annual budget to education and it collaborates with agencies of the Federal Government in education. It also constructed many classrooms and school laboratory projects in all the 20 local government areas of the state. You may wish to visit the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic and see what the government is doing physically. We gave the institution a new facelift and most of their courses have been accredited. The institution will now start offering degree courses. You may wish to see the FM Station of the institution; it is the only institution that has campus radio in the entire Northern Nigeria. Bauchi State University, Gadau and all other tertiary institutions have benefitted from the government’s effort to provide modern infrastructures in the schools. The government is also doing a lot in the public secondary schools. We have even recorded success because many students in Bauchi State today pass their examinations, NECO and WAEC, and government is paying their scholarship allowances.

In the area of agriculture, you may wish to ask farmers; they get fertilizer and all farming inputs every year. Our fertilizer company is working now; we even sell the commodities to other neighbouring states. Agriculture was given the priority it deserved with the recent procurement of 500 tractors. Recently, we accessed N5bn loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria out of N8bn to boost mechanised agriculture in the state.

In the area of road construction, the administration has achieved a lot, despite all the challenges involved in doing a quality job. Even a blind person knows that something called quality road construction is ongoing everywhere and, you see, in our effort to do quality jobs, the contractors dig holes, remove sands, filled the hole with rocks to strengthen the new road so that it would last for over 50 years. We are also committed to procuring about 60 busses to boost commercial activities of Yankari Express Mass Transit. In the area of rural electrification, government has ear marked over N350m to provide electricity to many rural communities in the state. We have introduced e-payment of taxes in the area of revenue generation. We have done more in the area of poverty alleviation and self-reliance programmes. We have instilled discipline in the civil service, among several other projects.

What is your plan for the state-owned electronic media?

Under my ministry, Governor Abubakar, just last month, bagged an award as “the Best Governor in Nigeria in Tourism Development”. The state government is fully committed to digitalise our media outfits. I can recall that, because of the interest of our governor, he visited the headquarters of Star Times, assessed what they were doing and after he was satisfied, he arranged with them to come and modernise the Bauchi State Television so that it would become like CNN. N2 billion has been earmarked for the project and they would be in the state any moment. They will be here to start the digitalisation of BATV. We are also working round the clock to reposition the Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC); by the grace of God it will be like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In fact, we have plans, including training and retraining of our staff in the media industry in the state and we are ready to provide them with all they require to make their work easier.

2019 elections are around the corner. How sure are you that the governor would retain his seat after the elections?

Ah! Have you seen any candidate in Bauchi State who is better than Mohammed Abubakar? Bauchi is for Abubakar. Even though the governor is not talking about 2019 as all you have been seeing are the agitations of his diehard supporters and well-wishers that he should run for a second term of office. But the governor is committed to fulfilling his electioneering campaign. He is working hard to improve the quality of lives of our people in the areas of water supply, health care, education, agriculture, rural electrification, road networks and many other areas. In fact, he wants to make sure that every citizen of Bauchi State can see the dividends of democracy in front of his or her doors.

What is your message for the people of the state ahead the 2019 elections?

My Message is that the people should support the government’s laudable programmes. By the grace of Allah, Governor Mohammed Abubakar has succeeded in changing the clock of Bauchi politics through hard work, dedication, transparency and prudent management of the state resources. Our people should understand the good intention of the administration in fighting corrupt practices and doing quality jobs that would stand the test of the time. Insha Allah, we will not fail them. Our work is different in the area of road construction; where other states are constructing two to three kilometre roads, our government is constructing over 300-kilometre roads. Even Misau to Gamawa is over 150 kilometres. By the grace of Allah, don’t forget we have constructed township roads in Misau, Azare and in Bauchi town. Remember we have constructed road from the Central Market Round About to the House of Assembly Junction. There is another one from the Central Bank Round About, via the Federal Low-cost up to Railway and the Miri dualisation from Awala Junction to Miri along Jos Road. There is another dualization from Awalah to Giwo Academy, along Ningi Road.