Hon Ahmed Attah is the zonal Chairman of the APC in Kogi east. In this interview with Chamba Simeh, he bares his mind on burning issues and the Yahaya Bello administration, the APC at both the national and state levels.
What is your position on regional security outfits being canvassed in several quarters?
I believe it is unfortunate and unconstitutional for any right thinking Nigerian to canvass for this at this point in our history. It is not healthy, people have been speaking and it has generated a lot of controversy. We must learn from our recent history. It is something we have to avoid and I don’t want to be part of those clamouring for such illegal propositions. My leader, the governor of Kogi state, His ExcellencyYahaya Bello, has never been part of those governors proposing regional security outfits. The lesson of history is that even those proposed by some governors have never been useful.
What do you think are the solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges?
We should all agree that corruption is the bane of many important institutions in our country. President Muhammadu Buhari, since assumption of office, started the process of eliminating corruption from many institutions in the country. It takes time, yes, but we do not have any easy and reasonable option than to support him. The Nigeria police prior to this government was under-staffed. They relied on the old conventional ways of crime fighting. Manpower training for manpower was weak. Their leaders didn’t think outside of the box. But today, the president is gradually changing the narratives of the police. Modern day technological equipment for fighting crime after tracking are being made available to them. Recruitment of capable hands to enhance the manpower strength of the police is being done. We will outlive our present challenges and we just need to be patient. With President Buhari, you can take his promise to the bank.
There is the problem with your party, the APC?
Yes, we have challenges in some state chapters of our party. Thank God that in Kogi state, our party is the most robust and cohesive in the country. The APC like every human organisation is not free from some self inflicted crisis and I can assure you that we will come out of it stronger. The problem with our party is the management of successes just like the PDP is finding it difficult in managing it failures. We agree that recently because of these crisis we lost Zamfara, we lost Oyo, Adamawa, Bayelsa recently and Rivers state. Our party has done well by recognising that there is a problem and I think the president must be commended for setting up the national peace committee.
What is the secret behind the success of the APC in Kogi state?
Leadership and leadership. My father always told me when I was young that a leader is a dealer in hope. Our party leader in Kogi state, Governor Yahaya Bello, is a man that believes in party supremacy. He is a man who allows democratic norms and practices fester in the party. He together with the state party chairman have painstakingly built a party structure that is working for the members. I can categorically tell you that now in Kogi state, APC is one big family. The party is like a religion and in Kogi state, the APC has come to stay.
Recently, the state high court in Lokoja ruled that the PDP in Kogi state had no candidate in the last gubernatorial election won by the APC. What is your take on it?
I have told people who cared to know severally that the PDP in Kogi state is a joke and that joke brought about the judgement of the court recently. PDP in the state has over the years wasted its political capital and today in the consciousness of our people, the PDP in Kogi state is non-existent. It exists only in the figment of the imaginations only of its godfathers. The recent court judgement, though belated, has justified our position earlier that the PDP is dead as a party in our state. With APC, hope has come to Kogites.
What is the main thrust of the APC and the Bello administration in the next three years?
Basically, and simply, to replicate his success story in his first term in the second term that made re-elected in the second term. Our governor sacrificed a lot to make this success story witnessed and applauded by our people happen. People are entitled to their opinion but God knows that Kogi state is working. Our governor from day one made our people the focus and emphasis of development.
You seem to talk positively about your governor. Why is it so?
Simple, give credit to whom it is due. This is a young man that is succeeding against all odds where others better aged and experienced failed. Our people know that he sacrificed and built APC and made the party what it is today. This young man is building the APC in the state to be a veritable platform that would outlive him and deliver development to our people. In Kogi state today, the tallest person politically can’t be better than Yahaya Bello. People know his antecedents, pedigree and that is incontestable.
The gubernatorial election tribunal in Kogi state is on. Are you confident of a favourable outcome for your party?
As it stands and by the outcome of the recent high court judgement on the rightful candidate to have contested the guber election held last year, the PDP has no candidate. My advice for the PDP in Kogi state is to seek the discontinuance of the case at the tribunal and congratulate the APC.I can tell you categorically that the APC will win the case at the tribunal because PDP has no case.
We heard that the relationship between your boss and the deputy -governor is frosty. What happened?
People always forget that beyond power, the governor and his deputy are friends. I have heard it said that there is no price on a friendship. The friendly and brotherly relationship between the duo cannot be put away by speculations from people who wish the people of Kogi state no good. As far as we are concerned, there is no iota of truth in this speculation. They are fine and working assiduously to deliver on their mandate.
Let’s talk about governance in the state. What is the mood of the people towards this administration?
Excellent! Our people are witnessing a new dawn that comes with development in all its ramifications. To our people, the Yahaya Bello administration in Kogi state signalled the end of error and the beginning of a new era of peace and development.
As Kogi east APC chairman, are your people satisfied with this government?
Never have a people got what they asked for. The people get the type of leader they deserve. Check the statistics, Kogi east is the home of the APC in Kogi state. Our people voted en masse for this government and the APC. The government and party in turn have not failed our people. We are proud to say we made the right decisions voting for the Yahaya Bello/Edward Onoja team. They are keeping their promises. So far, so good.
As the former deputy governor Simon Achuba alleges, is it true that the new deputy governor, Edward Onoja, is ruling the state in place of the governor?
He who alleges, proves. I am telling you categorically that our governor is truly in charge of the state. I do not subscribe to cheap blackmail.
Can you tell us about some landmark development plans your party, APC, hopes to introduce to make Kogi state great?
Thank you very much. I told you that prior to the APC administration in this state, a party called the PDP, lorded over this state and what did our people get: monumental heist, brigandage, godfatherism and the plundering of the state. We were happy to have recognised early the tsunami of the APC and General Buhari and decided to allow this developmental tsunami blow through our state. We thank God that the Buhari tsunami which blew through Kogi state brought about the end of this error called PDP in our state and the beginning of a progressive era called the APC. Today, our people know better. Our administration hopes to execute comprehensive plans which will culminate without discrimination in the total development of the state. They include agriculture and rural development, knowledge economy, social welfare programmes for the people and industrial policy that will make Kogi state the hub of business in the North-central.
Are you saying that your people have been adequately taken along?
Oh, yes. We have never felt taken along and having a sense of belonging in any government like the present one. Our sons and daughters equitably got appointed into offices that are due our zones and we have received developmental projects commensurate with what was promised. Our zone is on the move developmentally.
What are you doing to mitigate the crisis in some state chapters of your party?
Our president has done the right thing by showing leadership. He has set up the Bisi Akande led national reconciliation committee to try and reconcile all members that have issues with the party. After the hurricane will definitely comes calmness because nature abhors vacuum. We should not see crisis in any human organisation as a new thing but we should rather find ways of resolving it. We trust that the reconciliation committee set up by the president would deliver. In Kogi state, we have no basis for any crisis because everybody is being taken along and there is mechanism for mitigating any crisis.
