Politicians when elected into office ordinarily are there to serve the people. However, there are those that join politics to amass wealth and seek relevance in the society. You don’t know this before the election. But after some months in office, you start separating the men from the boys. This is the situation we find ourselves here in Nigeria where today, our politicians are just there to enrich themselves forgetting the people that elected them into office and doing different things from what they promised the electorates during the electioneering campaign. Nigeria’s democracy is growing on a fast pace with massive turnover of new breed politicians, some good and impressive while others are bad and not too impressive, in the category of those that have made their impact felt is distinguished Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, a grassroots politician and a household name in Nigeria’s legislative organ. Believe it or not, Senator Abdul Ningi is an enigma and has carved a niche for himself in the political development of Nigeria. It is interesting to note that besides his frank and honest positions in the innermost chambers of the Legislative Houses, his people in Bauchi Central Senatorial Zone feel his impact very well. Above all Senator Ningi does not see himself as a northerner, he is a pan African as his views on national issues are not only thought provoking but nationalistic in output. It will be recalled that three years ago as a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman Police Affair’s committee, President Jonathan decorated Ningi with the Officer of the Order of Niger (OON) award for his contribution to nation building.SenatorNin gi again in 2012 received his second national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON as a distinguished Senator and Deputy House Leader. This indeed is no mean feat as political observers are of the view that it takes sheer hard work, patriotism and commitment to national development for one to be recognized by the federal government within a short period of time. Senator Ningi who also holds the revered traditional title of WalinNingi in the legendary Ningi emirate council of Bauchi State, North Central Nigeria has done well and deserves commendation, considering the fact that he is a man who loves Nigeria with a passion, he believes in Nigeria and has on several occasions displayed Pan Nigerian qualities both within and without the confines of the legislative arena. He is widely regarded as the voice of the voiceless, defender of the defenseless and above all a fearless politician who is principled. This meek, unassuming and humble parliamentarian is from all indications connected with the people, he knows them and they know him. He is a grassroots man to the core who believes and shares the yearning and aspiration of his people. Little wonder he was called to join the political fray in 1999 when he contested for the House of Representatives and won that election in a landslide. And from the look of things, it’s only a matter of time for the people of Bauchi to entrust him with higher responsibilities. He has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that he is a manager and leader of people and from all positions he has held in both the lower and upper chambers he has displayed rare leadership qualities, hence any added responsibilities will not be anything new to Senator Ningi as he is trusted and tested. There is no doubt that the political history of Nigeria will never be complete without the mention of Senator Abdul Ningi.He is a legend whose contribution to the development of the polity would remain indelible in the minds of Nigerians. A parliamentarian of no mean repute, Senator Ningi, knows the politics and psychology of the legislative arm, during his sojourn in the lower chamber, and now in the upper chamber, whenever he rises up to make a presentation, the hallowed chamber becomes electrified and charged that even a drop of a pin would be heard. He makes his presentation with all seriousness and articulates his point to the admiration of his fellow parliamentarians; his positions were always for the good and benefit of Nigerians. Ningi is no doubt an institution in law making, in fact, on his second coming to the House of Representatives, he was made the House Majority Leader, unarguably the engine room of the lower chamber. At the helm at that time as Speaker was Rt. Hon Aminu Bello Masari.Thosecrops of parliamentarians were a pride to Nigerians. That 5th House of Representatives without fear of contradiction could be regarded as the best in output and law-making since Nigeria attained democracy. Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi in 2008 bounced back into the House of Representatives for a record third time after winning his case in the election tribunal, on assumption he was appointed into the House committees on Sports, Niger Delta, Legislative Budget & Research, Federal Capital Territory and Works where he made appreciable impact in those committees, he knows the art of law making as such he built into all the committees. It is instructive to note that then Speaker DimejiBankole utilized the cognate experience of Hon Ningi to his advantage as he was always consulted for one issue or the other. Ningi was one of the stabilizing forces in the Bankole led House. Little wonder, he was made the Chairman of the highly sensitive Ad Hoc House Committee that looked into the crises in the Niger Delta.During this national assignment he displayed sheer nationalism and patriotism fighting for justice for the people of Niger Delta region. His report was a factor that led to the amnesty programme of late President Umaru Musa yar’adua. Some of the landmark inputs of this great Nigerian as a member of the lower chamber and which one will always cherish was In April 2009, as Chairman of House Committee on Police Affairs, He invited the then Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Farida Waziri to explain what had happened to the N16 billion recovered from the former Inspector General of Police, Mr.TafaBalogun. In June 2009, as Chairman of an ad- hoc committee on the Niger Delta, Ningi blamed multinationals for failing to assist in the humanitarian crisis in the area. During a crisis betweenthe Joint Task Force (JTF) and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta in the Gbaramatu Kingdom of Warri South West Local Government Area, when about 3,500 people were displaced, he openly criticized oil companies in the area for their lack of concern for the displaced people in the area, singling out NNPC, Shell and Chevron. In July 2009, during the continuing debate over the budget, Abdul Ningi as House chairman of the Committee on Police Affairs said Nigeria is under- policed, with only 368,000 policemen for 150 million Nigerians, and the police budget was insufficient compared to forces such as the army he said the security situation was because criminals had more sophisticated arms and ammunition than the police, his lamentation if worked with then, would have nipped the current security challenges we now face in the bud. As he marks the second year in the Senate chamber and 14 years in the legislative arm, the nation expects more from this distinguished Senator, his landmark achievements in the provision of infrastructural facilities for the Bauchi Central Senatorial district is today a reference point in qualitative and consultative representation ever witnessed in the annals of this country. There is no gain saying the fact that Senator Ningi unrolled a four-year plan for the central zone, in line with the campaign promises which he made to the people prior to his election. In that plan, the first two years, 2012 and 2013, will see the provision of potable drinking water, solar- powered street lights, construction of skill acquisition centres, as well as accomplishment of poverty eradication programmes. Each of these skill acquisition centres will be situated in each local government, considering the teeming unemployed youths in this zone. It is on record that all the six local Governments that make up his Senatorial Zone have benefitted from his constituency projects, schools, primary healthcare centres, hospitals, are evenly spread. SenatorNingi has also concentrated on human capital development by floating a scholarship scheme for youths not only in the zone but the state as a whole. He is indeed a senator of the entire Bauchi State. Senator Ningi’s unique support for agriculture was well pronounced this year through assistance to small- and medium rural farmers in the senatorial district. In addition to aid these farmers and their families in every community in the zone, the Senator also has a blueprint that will see to the construction of 100 hand-pump boreholes in each of the six local governments of Bauchi Central Zone. Of these, 50 boreholes have been fixed before the end of December 2012, while the other 50 will be put in place between January and December 2013. Senator Ningi is an enigma, a political icon and a patriotic Nigerian who is deservedly enjoying the fruit of his labour, and Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion should all be proud of Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:19:05 +0000