‘I learn my important lesson in politics from Chief Servant’ Hon. Saidu Ndako Idris Kpaki was appointed the Secretary to the Government of Niger state on February 17, 2013 by the Chief Servant, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu. Since he came on board he has brought transformation to the office of the SSG, which is the engine room of the entire operations of government. In this interview with JIBRIN BABA NDACE, Kpaki, who was a local government chairman, member, Niger State House of Assembly, commissioner in ministry of transport, as well as planning, speaks about his experience in politics, positive transformation of the state and other sundry issues In the usual Nigerian parlance, Niger state is said to be working. What is your comment on this? I will say this is the simplest question that can be answered by any Nigerlites. There is a saying that if you are searching for the eye of a fish you go straight to the head. The Chief Servant, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, is the main reason behind unprecedented development Niger state has witnessed in recent years. He is actualising his vision of transforming Niger state to become one of the three most developed states in the country by putting in policies and programmes that has direct impact on the people, encourage investments and businesses. Among the foremost attributes of this veritable and quintessential leader are hard work and team spirit. Is your objective not ostentatious? They are true and down to earth. They could be superlative but the reverend Governor deserves no less in my estimation. This is no more than giving credit to whom credit is due, honour to whom it is due, praises to whom it is due; and particularly one who posterity should remember and keep in its Hall of Fame. In this world, every human is mortal but our deeds and our legacies can live forever. Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has forever stamped his brand as a worthy and result-oriented leader in the history and future of Niger State, and no one can deny him these claims. Does this not amount to some form of praise-singing? People can call it what they like, but that is who our governor is. We are in a country where criticisms and condemnations are in ample supply, while commendations and praises are in short supply. In this country people have a penchant of seeing only the bad and the ugly side of things, while they turn blind eyes on the good and the beautiful things you have done. People have always compared us with other states. But after their comparison they discovered Niger State is ahead of them. We have always left Nigerlites, members of the public and the press to do the peer review comparison. And they have always revealed that the state is going in the right direction in terms of positive development. From the way the Chief Servant has positioned the state, we are not in doubt that we will achieved his desire to put the state amongst the top three best states economy in the country in terms of positive development, tagged Vision 3:2020. What are the evidences on the ground that indicates that the present administration in the state is working? What other evidences do you require before concluding that this is a state that works in terms of both planning and performance. When the present administration came on board in 2007, the education sector was in shambles and near total collapse. The chief servant due to his passion for education swung into action with the creation of Ministries of Tertiary Education and the Ministry of Basic Education. This has gone a long way to transforming the education sector in the areas of management and provision of infrastructure which to a large extent ensured enrollment of pupils/students and better performance in public examinations. The government also declared free education for all pupils/ students in public schools notwithstanding their states of origin, embarked on the payment of the NECO and WAEC fees for these students a project which has so far received commendation by both parents other stakeholders. To take health care delivery close to the people, this administration carried out the construction of 3 new 110 bed hospitals at Gulu, Sabon Wuse and Nasko and equipped them with modern equipment. The rural hospitals at Bangi, Kutigi and Kuta were also upgraded to the status of general hospitals. The IBB specialized hospital in Minna was also upgraded to a specialist hospital with full compliments of resident consultants. The administration declared free medical services for pregnant women, the aged and sickle cell patients. It also purchased and distributed free 1,700.000 insecticide treated mosquito nets to people in the 25 local government areas of the state and carried out free eye surgery for 11,500 eye patients in Minna, Bida and Kontagora. 4000 other patients had their sights restored after undergoing cataract surgery under the full sponsorship of the state government. The major focus of the administration in the last 6 years is to turn agriculture to a money spinning and employment generation venture. Government has purchased well over 258 tractors and their implements for use by small and large scale farmers. The Niger state government under the leadership of Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu is currently implementing the multi million Naira rice programme which will make the state the largest rice producer and exporter in Africa. In the area of infrastructural development, Minna and other towns in the state are now wearing new looks. The present administration constructed some roads such as Kutigi-Fazhi, Batati-Dabban, Bonu-Gurara waterfalls, Luma-Babana, Industrial lay-out Minna, AP-Kpagungu-keteren-Gwari, Mu’azu Mohammed road and Zarumai –Onigbinde road. Government also purchased heavy equipment for road construction which was given to all the local government councils. The Ward Development Projects initiated by the present administration in the State is a new approach and innovation to participatory democracy through projects identifications and execution at the grassroots. Through this, the Chief Servant brought a new innovation to governance in the country where people at the grassroots would initiate their own programmes and participate actively at every level of implementation. In its bid to make housing assessable to majority of people and at affordable rates, the present administration has constructed 1500 housing units in Minna,Bida, Kontagora and Suleja. The Chief Servant saw in you some qualities before he appointed you as the SSG, but this may not have gone down with some skeptics. How have you proved them wrong? If you expect me to answer this question frontally then you really know very little about me and my philosophy of life. A man, first and foremost, must live by personal convictions, firm beliefs based on antecedents, training and then vocation. While I will not bother you with explanations, what I will say is that people will remain who they are. As human beings we have people who are not favourably disposed to us- people who occupy top positions in government- for reasons best known to them. They are malcontent people who have abhorred ferocious bring-him-down syndrome. No matter the amount of good you do they can never reconcile themselves with you or your interests. Anyway, I see this as part of life, which should not deter me from moving on. It is a human phenomenon to be biased, but what I always tell people is that they should always look at themselves before castigating others. What is your secret weapon in dealing with your detractors or critics? I have an iron-clad formula. I take life easy, and dictate what is right for the greater number of people around me. I take things as they come, knowing fully well that the sun and rain of life must shine on us sometimes and involuntarily. These can never be of our own making but that of Allah (SWT.) I put my trust in God and go about my normal business. Did you in anyway prepare yourself for the task you are doing today? I have learn many lessons in my political career, but the most important lesson I learnt working with the Chief Servant is that one should be ready for unexpected assignments. While you are thinking in a particular line, the Chief Servant will be preparing something else for you. So the key word is more like the Boys’ Scout motto: BE PREPARED! How can you reconcile your movement from the legislative to executive arm? First and foremost, I am a politician, who believes he can fit into any module at any time, provided it is for the interests of the people I represent. If you put the people ahead of any myopic or selfish interests you are bound to excel in any task you find yourself. 2015 is around the corner and the Chief Servant will exit. The question people keep asking is: “who takes over from him? As far as I am concerned the Chief Servant is not going away today or tomorrow. He still has about two years. So, we are expending our energies in milking more resourcefulness from him. I cannot at this moment reconcile myself with the reality of Niger State without the ebullient Chief Servant at the helms of affairs. There are speculations that the Chief Servant is having an eye on the presidency, which explains his constant crisis with the president. What is your comment on this? The Chief Servant is not after President Jonathan’s job as speculated by some people. This country returns to general election every four years to choose who should pilot the affairs of the country. So every four years the President’s job is declared vacant for a general contest. Those who claim that the Chief Servant was or is after President Jonathan’s job are mischief makers who are bent on pitching two illustrious academics with doctoral degrees against each other. I don’t know whether you have heard anything new, but what I can categorically say is that come 2015 the Presidency will be declared vacant and Dr. Jonathan, just like every other Nigerian like the Chief Servant will be free to lay a stake to it. This is the beauty and essence of democracy. Can you speak on what the Chief Servant will do in 2015? No. That is an esoteric subject on which only the Chief Servant can speak on. Let us watch how the musical chairs will play out.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 07:03:59 +0000
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