Alhaji Yusuf Adamu
Alhaji Yusuf Adamu is one of the longest serving party chieftains of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Borno State Chapter.
As the state party secretary, he was everywhere and has been an arrowhead for the party.
Adamu, who once served as Caretaker Chairman of Biu local government, changed the face of politics at the grass root level and just as he was being rumoured to have resigned from active politics, he re-appeared with a new portfolio of Special Adviser on Political Matters to Governor Kashim Shettima.
In this interview with DailyPost, the ace politician speaks on his past and present as well as why Vice President Sambo hailed Governor Shettima during his recent visit to the state. Excerpt:
Alhaji Yusuf Adamu, you are one of the veteran politicians of Borno State; in fact you are the longest serving state secretary of the ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party in the state, and we know that you had also administer your local government as the chairman of Biu local government Area of Borno state for quiet some time; this means you know all the vicissitude of political office both at the grass root and at state level. Can you tell us the diversities, the challenges that are in these various offices and how politics are played at the state and local government level?
Thank you very much; my position as the former ANPP secretary Borno state, I would say is a normal call to duty and I served to the best of my ability as a human being as well as a politician. You also know that during our tenure, we were given free hand to lead the party, and we did it with great care and caution, taking the interest of the people at heart. We also make sure that we carry everybody along to make sure that everybody has a level playing field for politicking. As such, we were able to build not only a strong party in Borno state, but also what I would like to call a very formidable party, which is why by the grace of God we were able to remain a leader amongst all the political parties in the state.
Notwithstanding, we had challenges and as human being it is normal that whenever you have responsibility, you carry it also along with your shortcomings and your strength to overcome your weaknesses. We have that at the back of our minds at all times as such our strength and the will to do the right thing has always carried us through all these challenges. Let me say that we make us of our strength to suppress our shortcomings towards achieving our goal of making sure that we have a very viable political party in the state; we have serious cohesion and we have support. As we move on, the government as well as the state assembly has continued to give us support and that really made us to succeed.
Sir, when you were appointed Caretaker Chairman of Biu local government, many people believed that, you were sent there to cushion the political atmosphere of the local government in the state. We also learnt that after serving your local government for about two or three terms you decided to step aside and also influence the appointment of the current chairman. What influence your decision at that time?
When I was made the Chairman of Biu local government, it actually came to me as a surprise because it has never occurred to me that I would go in my political carrier as a Chairman of Biu local government area, being the politician that I am; whenever I was given the opportunity to serve in whatever capacity, I make sure I put in my best. I always consider every opportunity as a call to duty and as a strong believer of my party and my government consider any job given to me as a service to humanity that is why I decided to go to Biu and serve. Now after serving three terms, I decided not to go back as the Chairman of my local government because I am a firm believer that there can be others who given the opportunity to serve would as well do their best. So, that is why I decided not to go back, and I thank my governor for given me the opportunity to serve my people.
In fact when I was there he (governor) has given me all the necessary support to ensure that my people get the benefit of the dividends of democracy under our government. The governor also would always tell me that, Yusuf, we have a social responsibility to our people and we have to do everything possible to ensure that we give them the best because if we fail in our responsibility posterity would judge us. And that advice has helped me a lot in making sure that no stone is left unturned in my duty to make life meaningful to our people by ensuring that they get all the basic necessity of life at their door steps. You see, one thing we should always remind ourselves is that all the money we are getting belongs to the electorates as such, they deserve to have all that is needed from us as government: the need for portable drinking water, schools, healthcare and what have you. There are places that if you go and they give you water, you can not drink it, and that means you need to do something. You need to make sure that they have good drinking water because they are also human beings like you. I tell you if you fail from realizing that, you need to provide what they need that you know they needed it so urgently; you are doing evil to humanity. We therefore, ensure that before we left office as Chairman of Biu local government, we laid a solid foundation that whoever is coming or that has come would have to continue with the pace or try to do more.
It was rumoured that immediately after you stepped aside as Chairman of Biu local government that, you have decided to resign from active politics to face your business. But recently, we saw you coming again as Special Adviser to the governor on Political matters. What can you say about that?
Well, we have come a long way and I have a touch for the governor of Borno state, whom we knew each other for a very long time. Forget about politicking, we were together when I was working in the NNPC and he was in the banking industry. We relate very well and I know his family very well also. As the governor of Borno state, he called me to serve, I am a citizen and he is my governor, I am a party man who also belief in the ANPP as a party, I therefore, decided to come and serve under his administration as his Special Adviser Political. I belief he found me worthy of that office that is why he decided to call me to serve and I take it as the normal call to service.
Sir, with your current position, we belief that government is not only getting prepared for 2015, but also planning to maintain the position of Borno state as a one party state since the return of democracy in 1999, owing to the fact that the opposition that might be unseen for now is gearing up to give you very stiff challenges. Also as a former party secretary who knows the rudiment of politics at the grass root, how do you plan to contend with these forces that we do not see them now but we perceive that they exist and in fact we have seen some signs that they are at work?
A: Well, first and foremost my governor is creating wealth through youth empowerment, my governor is creating wealth towards small scale enterprise, and my governor is revolutionalising the state towards Agricultural transformation. For now, we are concentrating on given people the dividends of democracy. We promise to serve people and this is what we are doing. We are seriously concentrating on redeeming the promises we made to the people of Borno state and by our works and their antecedents the people have always been the better judges. If you have been following the trends of activities under this administration, you would agree with me that the youth empowerment scheme of the Kashim administration is yielding result towards engaging our youths thus, taking them away from poverty which has been the cause of our crises. I promise you that, when it is time for politicking we would politick and the difference would certainly be revealed.
Sir, we observed also that when the Vice President visits, unlike what an opposition would naturally do, Sambo thumbs up for Shettima on his developmental strides. Of what advantage is the Vice president remark to your party and for your campaign for 2015?
Well, if you look at politics in America for example and other develop world, party loyalty or allegiance does not stop one from appreciating another party or opposition when it is crystal clear that what that party or opposition is doing is in the best interest of the generality of the people. Vice President Namadi Sambo has seen that, we are doing well for the people despite the security challenges and as Vice President of Nigeria not PDP he appreciates our achievements. I think politicians particularly the opposition should take queue from the Vice President and change the face of Nigeria’s politics from an ancient rivalry to a modern civilization. He gives the governor of Borno state 100 percent pass mark unlike of a typical Nigerian opposition given the merger resources we get from the Federal government, which he (VP) is quiet conversant with and the development he met on ground as a result of judicious use of our resources.
Sir, as former secretary of your party and now as Political adviser to the governor of Borno state, how do you intend to build up the party, which many belief has lost its relevance since your exit?
(Laugther)…We have a very strong and viable party in the state. Both the state Chairman of the party and Secretary and able hands and has contributed greatly to the success of the Party. We started the party together and we are still together moving the party from stage to stage. Perhaps we were quiet and not blowing our trumpet because we are busy trying to see that we meet to our promises to the good people of Borno state as well as working on our blue print for the work ahead. I am assuring you that as soon as we tackle the issue of developmental projects in the state, we would come out stronger and you would definitely see all those things that you said are missing now.
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