Democracy is about what you can bring to the people —Mustapha

Mallam Saliu Mustapha, the new Turaki of Ilorin,was the national deputy chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the parties that merged to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).He was also the first national publicity secretary of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC) and joined the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). In this encounter with pressmen, he talks about his chairmanship aspiration in the All progressives Congress, his turbanning as the Turaki of Ilorin and other issues. KUNLE ODEREMI brings excerpts.

What are the responsibilities thrust on shoulders as a result of your being turbaned as the Turaki of Ilorin?

I want to first and foremost thank the good people of Kwara, Ilorin and the MartabaSerikin Ilorin to have bestowed the title on me. Like you rightly asked, what are the responsibilities? The responsibilities that come with titles like this are enormous. First, you might want to know what I have been doing for the emir to have singled me out of many good people to be given this title. I might not able to enumerate all, but my prayer is may the Almighty Allah, who has made this day to come, who has also given me the wisdom, to give the strength and means to continue to do what I was doing better again before now so that I can serve my people in larger capacities. So, my wish is I will do more for my people.

This historic event is happening at a time Nigerians are clamouring for sustenance of our heritage, while a few others often draw back when offered such opportunity. Why this?

Well, my prayer and comfort in life have always been to add smiles to my immediate environment or to add value anywhere the Almighty Allah has placed me. If we fail to encourage or improve our heritage, then we will find ourselves in a society without value. Our heritage is the bedrock of the value we exhibit or hold on to jealously and any society or group of people who fail to encourage, sustain their heritage then that is a failed society or lost society because this heritage has always been there before the colonial days.  These are some of the things that have helped to fashion and shape our harmonious living.

How do you intend to strike a balance of your new status with politics, as you have been saddled with a traditional responsibilities?

I want you to know before democracy, before politics, there has always been heritage. So, that would not stop me from playing both roles seamlessly and harmoniously. I have indeed played both roles perfectly and being honoured again would not affect or stop me from performing better and raising the bar.  Indeed, it will only enhance what I will do.

Having achieved this particular feat, what are your projections?

I pray that the Almighty Allah give us good heath, long life and prosperity in any form or anywhere we find ourselves to impact positively in our society. So, it can be through politics, it can be through the traditional institution. Anywhere the Almighty Allah gives me the means, I will do that.

You are yet to declare your bid for the position of the national chairman of APC. But the feelers across the country is that you are already in the race. How will this impact on your new status. It was also noted that the governor of Kwara State was at both the palace of the Emir and the banquet hall, venue of the second phase of the  programme  of the day. Does that suggest a kind of harmonious relationship between you and the governor?

Let me start from the latter part of your question. The governor is a brother; he is a good friend; he is a leader; he is the governor of the state and we belong to the same party called APC and we share a lot things in common. The same way he supports me in whatever I’m doing in APC, I will always support him because it is a collective responsibility on all of us in APC to see that the APC government delivers.

It is when the APC government delivers on the promise of the dividends of democracy that all of us can go back home and smile because without party, without any affiliation, we are doing our best to improve our immediate environment. So for me, we have a very good understanding with the governor and like you said, I am also one of those who are aspiring for the position of APC national chairman. and by so doing, I have also enjoyed a lot of support from the governor for my aspiration; because today, if by God’s grace I am able to make it as APC national chairman, it is an addition; it is going to add more value and enhance governance in the state because the most important thing in democracy is how much can you bring to your people and if he as the governor is doing his best and some of us are able to find ourselves in national politics, the same thing too; we will be able to attract a lot to the state for our people to benefit and enjoy. That is the whole essence of this venture called politics.

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