- Commends Gov Badaru for commitment to development of Jigawa State
- Says Nakudu’s loyalty to Buhari is cover up to get return ticket
An Abuja based socio-cultural group established for the development of Gwaram, Jigawa State, Gwaram Abuja Residents Association (GARA), has called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Muhammadu Buhari administration to guard against the antics of non-performing Federal lawmakers, whose failures are denting the image of the APC in their constituencies.
The group, therefore, warned that if the Adams Oshiomole-led leadership of the APC grants automatic return tickets to Senator Sabo Nakudu, representing Jigawa Central Senatorial District, and Hon. Yuguda Hassan Killa, representing Gwaram Federal Constituency, the party risks losing the support it enjoyed from the people of Gwaram when it elected the lawmakers.
The Chairman of the Association, Comr Alhaji Hamza Muhammad, who made this known in a media chat on Tuesday in Abuja, commended the governor, Abubakar Badaru, and his administration for efforts to develop Jigawa State. He however insisted that the lawmakers have failed to fulfill their roles to the development of Gwaram, citing their inability to ensure budgetary provision for establishment of critical infrastructure in the state as reasons.
He noted that the people of Jigawa Central Senatorial District are not happy about the insensitivity of Senator Nakudu and Hon. Hassan Killa, stating that they are not able to do for Gwaram what some other lawmakers are doing for their constituencies, especially the ability to lobby for the inclusion of critical infrastructure as federal projects to be executed in the benefit of Gwaram.
“We strongly advise President Muhammadu Buhari to beware of failed politicians who are pledging loyalty to him not because they love president Buhari, but because of their inability to secure uninfluenced return tickets as a result of their failures.
“Some of such politicians want to hide under the popularity of President Buhari to secure automatic return tickets to their respective positions,” he said.
Recalling efforts by the association to responsibly call Nakudu and Killa to order, Comr Hamza explained that in November 2016, the Association made public statements via media reports in some national dailies, calling on the lawmakers to rise up to their responsibility, noting that the failure of the lawmakers to facilitate budgetary provision for the completion of the power substation was cited at the time.
He said: “Although the lawmakers were disturbed by the publications and explained that they will work hard to include the projects in the budget of the following year 2017, they however failed.
“It is nearly two years since their promises and nothing has happened to the projects,” lamenting that the people of Gwaram have continued to suffer the neglect of some other critical infrastructure in the area.
While he noted that politics is essentially to bring benefit to the electorate, he said it was shocking and disappointing that the incumbent senator and lawmakers who have failed woefully are now seeking automatic return tickets.
Hamza warned that although the APC enjoys the goodwill and support of the people of Gwaram and entire Jigawa, but noted that if the incumbent lawmakers who have failed are given automatic return tickets, it will dent the image of the APC in the constituencies.
“We seriously searched for credible alternatives who will undo the underdevelopment inflicted on Gwaram by the incumbent lawmakers,” he said, adding that Alh Abba Suleiman who has demonstrated inspiring commitment to the development of Gwaram and Jigawa State should have been convinced to oust incumbent lawmakers through a free and fair democratic process.
“I am happy that Alh Abba Suleiman has agreed to contest for the seat of Jigawa Central Senatorial District and by the grace of God, he will democratically oust Sen Sabo Nakudu, who has not been able to live up to the expectations of the electorate.
“As a responsible association genuinely interested in the development of our native homeland, we have advised Sen Sabo Nakudu not to contest but we are not bothered by his ambition because if APC embraces decent democratic processes, Nakudu and all those who have failed like him will be voted out of power in the primaries.
“So, we commend Adams Oshiomole for the political regeneration he is already instituting in the APC by advocating for the participation of the masses in the determination of their political destinies via direct primaries.,” he said.
While saying that Nakudu’s representation of Jigawa Central in the Senate signaled retardation and underdevelopment for the Senatorial District, the association challenged Senator Nakudu to publish any projects he has facilitated in the interest of developing the constituency, if any.
“Before the election of Nakudu to the Senate, Gwaram Abuja Residents Association (GARA) made successful efforts to ensure budgetary provision for the establishment of a power substation, an effort that yielded positive results as sum was earmarked for establishment of a power substation in Gwaram.
“What is so painful is that Gwaram lost a power sub-station project only because Senator Nakudu and Hon Hassan Killa did not keep their promises of ensuring that the projects will be captured in the budget of the following year.
“Senator Nakudu was neither unable to sustain the progress made by GARA nor did he do the needful to restore it,” Hamza said.
He said it is disheartening that budgetary allocation meant for the establishment of Gwaram power substation was used for the establishment of power substation in constituencies which have committed senators and
representatives.
“While we have absolute confidence in the administration of Jigawa State governor, we have lost confidence in our lawmakers at the federal level and therefore passed votes of no confidence on Senator Nakudu and Hon. Yuguda Hassan Killa,” Hamza added.
