Re: North-West and Namadi (na) Sambo
It was rather disappointing to read a piece last Tuesday concerning the Vice President Namadi Sambo by one Abu Najakku, in which he exposed his ignorance of important issues pertaining to governance arising from failure to grasp current affairs. This is unbecoming of a columnist with Daily Trust who should be commenting from a position of knowledge for the benefit of readers rather than spreading misleading views. Fortunately, discerning members of the public conversant with the reality on ground will easily see through the half-truths and outright falsehood the writer concocted to hoodwink readers and most will simply move on to more credible write-ups in the paper.
For starters, it is common knowledge that, though a president is elected along with a running mate, his duties are not spelt out in the Constitution. Therefore, the running mate generally assists his principal as required and is in no position to insist on having his way. Decisions on formulation and implementation of policies are usually taken in consultation and implemented collectively by both parties, in accordance with the single mandate in one presidency and in the spirit of comrades belonging to the same party. Once this is clearly understood, Abu Najakku’s viewpoints reflect sentiments of a vested interest whose objective is to cast aspersion on the exemplary role of the VP in maintaining the cordiality and team spirit that is necessary and commendable under such circumstances.
More importantly however, it is absurd and mischievous to suggest that decisions on citing projects in the North will not have the input and blessing of the vice president. The whole idea of having a vice president in a democratic government is to have full representation of the diverse people of the country hence the principle of federal character determines the selection of a befitting vice president not from the same geopolitical area with the president. Thereasonableimplicationofthis unique arrangement designed to enhance inclusiveness and sense of belonging is that the vice-president will be the reference point for issues and decisions affecting his area of representation. This has been and remains the norm in the current dispensation which every Nigerian is familiar with regardless of what the propagandists contrive.
As a former governor of Kaduna State, the vice president initiated several high profile projects which the Federal Government either completely took over or replicated. The 215mw thermal power project in Kudendan, the Kaduna-Abuja Standard Gauge Rail Project, the 30mw Gurara Hydro-Power Project, the Sabon-Gari Almajirai (Tsangaya) model schools were all part of the 11-point Agenda of his administration. They have all attained local and international acclaim as espoused by the KPMG group, the leading professional services group in the world classifying the Kaduna-Abuja fast rail project as one of the 100 best infrastructure projects in the world in its 2014 publication.
Also, at the commissioning of the first Almajirai Model school in Gagi, Sokoto State, the Sultan of Sokoto and the Amirul Muminun had this to say on the project ‘this initiative is unprecedented in the history of the North” as he commended President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Mohammed Namadi Sambo for conceiving and implementing such a revolutionary project that will curtail child abuse and street begging in the North, a national menace that eminent northerners like the late Gen Hassan Usman Katsina fought hard to arrest.
The last university built in the north was the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, built 27 years ago by the then IBB Administration. Between independence in 1960 to 2010 (50 years), successor administrations from Tafawa Balewa, to Gen Aguiyi-Ironsi, Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen Sani Abacha, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo and Umar Musa Yar’adua established only nine federal universities in the North. Between 2010 and 2013, this administration has built nine Federal universities in the north while the police academy in Wudil was upgraded to a degree awarding institution.
Two hydro-power projects were proposed right from the First Republic up to the Shagari era-Mambilla and the Zungeru Hydro-Power projects- but nothing was done about them until the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan came on board and awarded contracts for the projects. The N163 billion Zungeru Hydropower projects is currently ongoing while USD1.5 billion has been advanced for the Mambila power project. In 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan launched the Great Green Wall Programme, a whopping N100 billion Regional Afforestation programme designed to create a green shelterbelt that will prevent desertification in the eleven northern frontline states of Kebbi, Zamfara, Gombe, Yobe, Jigawa, Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, Borno, Sokoto and Kano.
The Abuja-Kaduna Fastrail project is not about Labaran Maku or his utterances. The Minister of Transport under whose ministry the project is being supervised has confirmed that the project has been completed and that the arrival of the coaches is being awaited for services to commence. Similarly, the 100 billion naira Textile Revival Fund has since been accessed by textile owners and entrepreneurs, which has led to the partial commencement of operations in the UNT PLC, Kaduna, which has now re-engaged about 2,500 workers and full operations in others.
As regards the membership of the National Conference, there was never any deliberate attempt to short-change Muslims in the whole exercise. The nominations reflected various interests and pressure groups that submitted theirmembers’namessuchasthe NigerianBar Association(NBA), and the Newspapers Proprietors Association (NPAN) of Nigeria, amongseveralothers.Howcould anyone blame the Vice-President for a list that was not generated by him, but which was the outcome of detailed deliberations by a committee that produced the membership structure?
It is most appropriate for the Amirul Muminin to spearhead the call for balancing of the observed lapses as the leader of the Muslim population, rather than the vice president who is a national leader. If the VicePresident stands for the Muslims and the President stands for the Christians who will stand for the animists, traditionalists, atheists and freemasons who are also citizens of Nigeria, whenever they are short-changed? The outcome of the conference has never been an issue as all the delegates seem to be basking in the euphoria of producing such a monumental national document that will turn around the fortunes of the country into a more peaceful, progressive and prosperous nation.
Abu Najakku should clear his conscience and appreciate that nothing good comes from parochialism and confrontational attitude whereas more good certainly comes from demonstrating unalloyed loyalty to the State by being loyal to your President and Commander-in Chief. Respect for leaders is preached by all religions and cultures of the world as a necessary path to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and maintenance of law and order to the admiration of all humanity except the Najjakus of this world whoseunacceptabilityandulterior motives are forever frowned upon by right thinking citizens.