Chief of Staff to Yobe state governor, Alhaji Saleh Abubakar is one of the leading politicians in Yobe state. As a stakeholder in Geidam’s administration, he speaks with DailyPost on the 2013 local government election and what the state government hopes to put in place in 2014 for the people of Yobe state as well as other sundry issues. Maina Maina sent in excerpts:
Q: December 28, 2013 was a special day for the government and people of Yobe state. It was a day to be remembered in many years to come. We are talking about the local government election. Your Party, the APC did not leave a single seat to the opposition, yet there was no much talk from the opposition on the usual accusation that accompanies such election. What has the government done to tame the oppositions in Yobe state?
Ans: Truth and trust is what gave All Progressive Congress (APC), an edged over the opposition in Yobe state. Everybody knows what is happening in this country and in the state in particular. In fact, there are opposition parties that said they would not take part in the election because they did not believe there was peaceful atmosphere in Yobe state for an election like this to hold. But that unfounded and baseless allegation has been proved otherwise with the peaceful conduct of the local government election. If there is insecurity in the state that would not allow for peaceful election as they claimed, the situation and peaceful conduct of the election has shown that, they were not on ground as the governor would say. Now, our stories would be told, and people or rather states, which are hitherto afraid to go into such election would have the confidence to also put on record that, when the people stand united, they can achieve a common goal in every situation and circumstances.
We are not saying that there are no security challenges in our state, but at all times, our prayers is for peace to reign in our state. We do not wish ourselves and our state bad news. But they (opposition) are bad news to themselves, which is why Yobe has always been the home of ANPP and now APC. The people of Yobe state have submitted to APC under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam because they have come to term with the truth and also believing that only truth can pull us out of the curse that, oppositions, particularly PDP is wishing the state. They said they were not taking part in the election, and we had an election where the people gave us the mandate to stir the affairs of the local governments. There are small talks here and there, but they cannot come out to boldly challenge the election because they know that, PDP is dead in Yobe state. In fact, not only in Yobe state, the whole country is aware of what is now happening in the PDP; the party is dead and dead for good.
Q: Governor Ibrahim Geidam has presented the 2014 budget, which he tags, ‘Budget of Reconstruction and Consolidation of Economic Transformation’. How would you describe the achievement of his government in 2013 and what does the government hope to put in place with the budget in 2014?
Ans: With gratitude to God, we have the firm belief that, what we have achieved in 2013 and what we hope to put in place in 2014 are as a result of our collective resolve to better the lives of the people of Yobe state. The people of Yobe state have been very supportive of our administration; they have shown to us that, they believe in the judgement of our governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam towards ensuring peaceful coexistence amongst our people and working towards improving the lot of the common man as well as his efforts towards the development of Yobe state in general. Our call on the people always is that, they should come together to support the administration of Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam and to build a state that we can proudly say we collectively built. I am happy that, the people are appreciative of government’s support and gesture. Everybody knows that we are faced with security challenges here; our prayers are that, we should put behind us, those challenges and focus on what we ought to do to better the lives of our people. We are a people, who believe in the unity of this country and our state, and we remain prayerful in the hope that God, who knows everything, will deliver us from the various challenges the state is faced with, particularly the issue of insecurity.
One of the major achievements of this administration in 2013 is job creation for teeming youth. We have constructed roads to localities that never dreamt of such prior to the coming of Geidam as governor. Our women go to the hospital and get free treatment and drugs. We have improved in our education sector and Agriculture is given its rightful place among many other things. Our relationship with civil servants does not just end while they are in active service. Only recently, about 2000 retired workers in the service of Yobe state government benefited from the 2013 government approved N1.263 billion payment for pension.
About N590 million out of the amount will be paid to 1, 296 people who have retired from the services of the state government, while N673 million will be paid to 568 local government retirees. The governor has also set up a committee under the chairmanship of Alhaji Bukar Chidami, former executive chairman of the State Revenue Board to oversee payment for state government retirees, while the local government pension board will undertake payment for workers who retired from local government service. This prompt payment of benefits for government workers and retirees is part of our administration’s continued effort to encourage and reward hard work and service delivery to the people of the state. The governor is determined to continue with this and other measures to ensure that workers who have served the state and retired are assisted to a dignified and comfortable lives in retirement.
In 2014, as you have witnessed in 2013; a total sum of one hundred and two billion, eight hundred and ninety-nine million, one hundred and forty-two thousand naira (N102, 899, 142,000) was propose and presented to the Yobe state House of Assembly. The budget has an increased 15.78 percent over last year’s budget of ‘Transformation’, which is eighty-six billion, six hundred and fifty-eight million, two hundred and ninety-nine thousand naira (N86, 658, 299,000). The budget, which is expected to foster unity and stimulate economic growth, will help government to put in place setbacks experienced in 2013, occasioned by the continuous insecurity situation in the state.
Above all, what we want to achieve in 2014 is peace. Without peace nothing can be achieved . Peace is the solid foundation that the Geidam administration hopes to build its legacies on. It is the peace that would afford us the opportunity of touching the lives of our people in the most positive way, by providing water, education, good health and all that the people are also expecting government to do for them.
Q: Health, education and security are major concern of the people of Yobe state; can you say that, this administration has done remarkably well in addressing these issues?
Ans: Just like I have tried to explain earlier on, I can list series of achievements made under the Geidam administration and the list will go on and on. We have achieved so much in the health sector; we have put in place a 200 bed hospital here in Damaturu to be fully equipped with modern facilities that, our patients would no longer need to travel abroad for medical treatment. This is just one; our direct intervention in the lives of the people of Yobe state also include the 300 victims of attacks that were given N133 million for treatment outside Yobe state. 18 out of the 300 were supported to undergo knee and hip replacement therapy and other orthopedic procedures to treat gunshot wounds sustained in various attacks by criminals and insurgents. The number also includes less priviledged patients with chronic conditions such as advanced diabetes and chronic liver disease who require regular medication, but are not in a position to provide on their own.
Already, renovation works on the general hospital in Buni Yadi, Damaturu and Damagum have reached an advanced stage and more hospitals are scheduled to come on stream.
Our schools are now in the ranks of the best, especially our University. Recently, we were in the United Kingdom with the governor, where we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to facilitate academic exchanges and capacity building between the Yobe State University and the University of Wolverhampton. We have also signed a similar MoU on mutually beneficial relationship with the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen in Scotland.
The MoU also covers areas such as exchange of students and staff between the two universities, joint research activities, participation in seminars and academic meetings, exchange of academic materials, special short-term academic programmes and staff development, amongst others.
Governor Ibrahim Geidam is keen to nurture the state university to an enviable status of academic excellence and provide opportunity to youth in the state to access quality university education at home. This also is the reason behind the massive academic and infrastructural investments that his administration is making in the university, which saw it emerging as the ‘fastest growing university’ in the north of the country.
Although, there were security challenges in the northeast part of the country, the situation is gradually improving and the effort of the state government and the military as well as support from the populace will ensure full restoration of peace in the long term. Some of these things said about the northeast of Nigeria are exaggerated; they are contrary to the reality on ground. Yes, there are security challenges, but things are gradually improving. We are confident that things will get back to normal with the effort of the state government, the military and the robust support of our people. And as we move forward, we will be guided by our hopes and not our fears. We are confident that we will put our state on the path of recovery and consolidate on the gains we have made for the overall benefit of our people.
Q: Finally, there are tensions both in the PDP as well as APC over the presidency of this country, what hope is there for APC in 2015?
A: Our hope is that, we will walk PDP out of Aso Rock come 2015. And in Yobe state, we hope to build our legacies on a solid foundation, by giving the people of Yobe state hope for the future and to establish truth, honesty and trust in our efforts towards the development our state.
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