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PEOPLES DAILY WEEKEND, SATURDAY 21 - SUNDAY 22, DECEMBER 2013
Interview
Why APC’ll dislodge PDP in Kaduna come 2015 -Dr. Bello
Dr. Mohammed Sani Bello is a Kaduna-based educationist who plans to aspire for public office under APC come 2015. In this interview with newsmen among them Muhammad Ibrahim, he analyzes the performance of the PDP government in the state since 1999 and concludes the state is backward assuring that only an APC government can bring back the state’s lost glory.
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ow do you view the administration of PDP in Kaduna state since
1999? I believe even the blind know that things are not well especially in Kaduna state. You know, going back to history in 1999, PDP came into government in many states and the Presidency. PDP won the election by popular votes. However, even as at that time in Kaduna state the election was rigged right from 1999. This is because, as you know, in Kaduna state, majority of us because of our educational background and the cosmopolitan nature of the state, are progressives. So, at the beginning, PDP was seen as the conservative in its political activities and so our educated elites and those who struggled for power and good governance became followers of the APP and voted the APP candidate. Kaduna state being the central state in the northern part of the country and then PDP was like anointed to lead the country and Kaduna became a victim and was snatched in favour of the PDP. Historically, the election that ushered PDP government in Kaduna state was not without fault and in democracy, what is normally obtained is that since election is the foundation for the emergence of government if the election is faulty, you will discover that the performance of the government will also be faulty. However, I must confess that between 1999 and 2007, during the first and second terms of Governor Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, he did what you now say on comparative basis much better than what we witnessed from 2007 to date. So you can say that there was average performance in spite of the kind of election that took place in 1999 and the one that took place in 2003. From 2007 to date, it is like Kaduna state is cursed. The leadership came through the normal rigging process and then all of a sudden somebody who was elected to serve as governor for 4 years got himself appointed as the vice president of the country and he left. It wasn’t his leaving that was the problem but during the period he held sway as governor, he tried to lay a foundation he thought was really genuine in term of education, health and other sectors in accordance with the so-called eleven point agenda. But soon after he left, we realized that much of them were really not genuine and because they were not genuine, his successor late Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa could not implement them and if anybody was in doubt as to the fact that those programmes were not genuine the person that succeeded late Yakowa was the Commissioner of Finance to then Governor Namadi Sambo and he became the governor, he
too could not implement any of the programmes initiated by his former governor and mentor. Everybody knows that Governor Murkthar Ramalan Yero is vice president’s boy from onset. Nobody is in doubt in the state. If anybody would have accused late Patrick Yakowa of non-implementation of those eleven point agenda initiated by Namadi Sambo either on account of religious or tribal sentiments, we have seen it now that Murkhtar Yero has been the governor for about a year, he has not implemented any of the eleven point agenda of Namadi Sambo. The treasury of the state is said to be empty and the lack of performance is said to be based on the empty treasury in the state. Meanwhile, every other state in the country other than Kaduna state has recorded an increase in terms of revenue either from the Federation Cccount or internally generated revenue. But in Kaduna state, what we are been told every day is that there is no money. Where is the money accruing to the state from the Federation Account going to? What is it being used for? We don’t know and believe me sincerely, it is because of these and many other factors that we members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resolved to dismantle the lackadaisical government of Mukhtar Yero to dislodge it completely and then bring back our dear state, Kaduna into a sure path of progress and development. You are talking of taking over the leadership of the state in 2015. How are you sure that the people of the state are solidly behind APC? The adage that “You also see it” is a clear manifestation of the current circumstance the people of Kaduna state are in. It tells every wellmeaning individual in the state that there must be change, because we cannot continue like this. The way we are today if we continue beyond 2015, then it is like we have all voted to go into what will be beyond our imagination in terms of backwardness because those of us who are living and active will be dying of poverty because poverty is the only thing that this government is bequeathing on the populace. So we have to as a matter of necessity unite and then resolve to change the present leadership in the state for our own interest and the interest of the future generation to come, if not, we will not be forgiven. I want to believe that the good people of Kaduna state are desirous of change and they are truly behind us that is, those of us who have been leading the change process. So, I have no doubt in my mind that the whole state without any fear that the people are really in need of positive change that will transform the entire state. I am also convinced
that the good people of the state will pursue this change with all that it takes to ensure its realization in 2015. How do you envisage Kaduna state under the leadership of APC come 2015? I happen to be the only person in Kaduna state who has participated from the beginning to the end in terms of the merger and process that brought APC. And I can tell you one of the things that we brainstormed, debated and came to terms with, has to do with the issue of manifesto. You know, in Nigeria and particularly in Kaduna state, we have been so unlucky that none of the governors that have rule this state have ever worked in accordance of the manifesto of PDP. During the time of Mohammed Makarfi, he was simply interested in the rural and urban areas in terms of the provision of infrastructure and that was the only thing he did. There was nothing about human development but tried to a certain level in infrastructural development, though even the physical development were not done in a sustainable manner so that things can continue. You can even see that the motivation for most of those thing were to give out contracts. ow in APC, we have been monitoring everything and we know that all over the world successful democracy, their activities of the programmes are anchor on their manifestoes. Because of lack of adherence to manifestoes when Namadi came as governor, so unprepared, he came up with the eleven point agenda. The whole agenda did not do anything and whatever one does was seen to be eleven point agenda without any effect to generality of the people of the state. When late Yakowa came in, he also did not anchor any of his programmes on the PDP manifesto. As a matter of fact, if you ask Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero today what is the real highlight of PDP manifesto, l am sure he don’t know. So, under APC, we have made it very clear that whoever aspire to serve as governor or as President, he must be very conversant with the manifesto of the party that is the starting point and then in the manifesto if you care to check, you will discover that everything to do with development has been captured but because it is not possible to take every aspect of it at a go, they are listed in order of priority. So depending on the critical need of the state, you are expected to take the manifesto and then prioritize on the programmes and activities that you must do to get the state developed. So l can assure you that APC government in Kaduna state is going to turn around things like magic because the manifesto is so ribose and it is workable, it was prepared by people who are tested
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Dr. Mohammed Sani Bello and they know what is at stake in the society in terms of physical and human development. We have some models like Lagos and other States rule by the opposition party before 1999 and now if you visit such states, you see for yourself the real transformation we are talking about. The transformation in those states does not stop on physical development but also in the human development. It is surprising that the area boys that those who visit Lagos used to see are no more because they have either been rehabilitated, gainfully employed or some have gone back to school. That is why APC in government in Kaduna state is sure of transforming the state to the dream of its founding fathers. Looking at the complex nature of Kaduna that has caused a lot of crisis in the state, how will APC government handle such situation and ensure peace in the state? You see, when you are talking of peace, Nigeria is not the only country where you have complexity of religion, ethnic and other differences. Go to any country, the issue of nationality or religious differences has never been a barrier in the wheel of development of the country. In fact, it is the opposite in many places. The genesis of crisis in Kaduna state can traced and also identified, because some few selfish individuals realize that on their merit of what they stand for, they cannot occupy leadership positions and so they decided to use sentiments as a vehicle to actualize their leadership ambi-
tions. If there is sincerity of purpose from a leader, the issue of whatever crisis we are talking of will not arise or lead to what we experiencing in the society, because everybody or every section is carried along in all spheres of life. So, the kind of leaders that will always exploit religion or ethnic differences are the kind of leaders that are inadequate and have nothing to offer the people and so they have to hide under the guise of religion, tribal or ethnic differences to perpetuate their evil desires and to cover for their shortcomings. or me, if APC happens to be in government and if by the grace of God I happen to be the leader of that government, the issue of religious or ethnic crisis in Kaduna state will have be a thing of the past, because if you check my records, you will discover that there hasn’t been any place that I have served without you seeing a balance of positions among all the people working with me, irrespective of whatever differences we may be talking about. Transparency, rule of law, accountability and good governance are the four pillars of good governance in any society by a leader and anything to do with crisis will not be there. Crisis arises from dissatisfaction or a feeling of not being treated fairly. So, why should I, after been given the mandate to lead the people, not treat them fairly? Anybody looking for the treasury will always try to look for religious or ethnic differences to cover up such devilish acts.
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