Just few days to the end of the tenure of the Niger state chief servant, Governor Babangida Aliyu, rumours that he is on the path to elope from the state to evade persecution has rented the air. However, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) Israel Ayengba Ebije in a chat with journalists dismissed the insinuations, throwing light on why Governor Aliyu is still under attack from the oppositions. AIDELOJE OJO reports
Why is Niger APC lashing out at Governor Aliyu if he has done very well for the state?
At first, Niger APC was only seeking to sustain nuisance value as an opposition party trying to be seen as doing or playing its role. Later, due to the Buhari Tsunami, they were swept into power under a bandwagon voting accident. On the instances mentioned, they did a very bad job trying to rubbish the strides of governor Aliyu and failed repeatedly.
Their information apparatchik is reduced to parochial bleating of sheep’s rather than issue based contribution to the state political workings. Rumor, cheap blackmail trail their media assertion which is morally shameful, retroactive and sensational
What is your position on the outcome of the 2015 election?
The result of the immediate past election is a resultant consequence of failure of PDP to properly recognize the importance of carrying the masses along, failure of the party to accept popular wish of its members, lack of internal democracy and inability to curb systemic impunity and political gangstarism. In summary of what happened at the polls, the people voted out the party and not individuals.
My boss, my mentor, my teacher the Chief Servant lost his first political ambition in life at the 2015 general elections where he couldn’t make it to the senate. The Buhari Tsunami was more like a revolution against a political party. It must not be seen as individuals failure to make positive sellable impression on electorates.
After the political Tsunami, the garbage’s in the dragnet of the victorious APC is so much the masses, elites are beginning to regret their action. APC was voted in and the best in PDP were voted out. Now many especially the lawmakers are made up of people on political tourism and those on adventure of political vendetta.
Buhari alone cannot change the aesthetics of Nigeria flaking political edifice. He needs competent hands to work with him. Sadly he seems the only person with political credibility to wield the mantra of change and transformation. Very soon the political tourists and adventurers will bare their fangs and make a mincemeat of his positive projections for Nigerians.
PDP would have continued to fly high if political profiteers did not hijack the party.
How has it been working with Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu as his Chief Press Secretary?
The Chief Servant is one of the most educated political leaders in the country. As an avid technocrat, he combined his experience in the civil service with that of a politician to come up with a blend of political personality which demystified leadership the way we understand it in Nigeria.
Yes, working with him has been a journey of experience in the aspect of multi-tasking and precision. He believes in hard work, service, probity and patriotism. Once you cannot flank into different aspects of your professional mandate, then its difficult to work with the Chief Servant.
A very humane, humorous and free spirited leader. His technocratic background spanning 30 years and leadership sagacity combined translated into his administrative drive. For him, mistake in governance is a disaster that must be averted. Mistakes in his opinion therefore starts with little things like grammatical lapses to misplaced or puerile ideas.
What is your assessment of the administrative policies of the governor?
Dr. Aliyu brought with him the best leadership experience base requisite for the position of governor. He is a postmodern man with grassroots sympathy. Loaded with a fountain of intellectual, administrative experience, he first articulated a marshal plan for the state christened “Vision 3:2020. That document is so comprehensive, the Governor election under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) adopted it.
Aliyu’s policies were tailored at changing the old standard of governance where systemic rot occasioned by political cankerworms ate Nigeria economy to the bones. His disposition towards governance however did not enjoy the support of prebendal politicians who felt the “bring lets share” regime must continue.
I must at this juncture say that those who left the PDP in Niger state left on account of failure to get cheap money through the old rotten system. They bound themselves together to throw clogs at the production wheel of progress of the Aliyu led administration. They however failed. Sadly, they are bunch calling the shots in the APC.
If I must therefore rate the administration of the Chief Servant, then I will have to look for a new political scale of measurement where the leader is indeed a servant. On that scale therefore, I will place him topmost as an initiator, a pioneer, a founder of a people based leadership.
He has indeed broken the ice for all to see leadership in its most humble manner. He has demystified leadership, simplified administration and complicated corruption for politicians/government officials.
What policy or project do you think the Aliyu led administration has done better than others?
For me, I think the establishment of the Ward Development Projects (WDP) initiative and intangible dividends of democracy thrust will forever remain his cardinal achievements under his watch as two term governor of Niger state. Under the WDP, he took development to the grassroots where people under a committee decided on the project of their choice. For the first time, dividend of democracy reached the grassroots populace. The World Bank got interested in the initiative and are presently working on how to make it have a global appeal.
In the area of intangibles, the Chief Servant will be remembered for his free education policy, graduate employment scheme, oversea training for pilots, doctors, engineers, seafarer trainings and many more. Billions were expended on intangibles since 2007. They are not physical but in several years ahead, the impact will be felt and that is when Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu would have immortalized himself as a great leader.
Niger emerged top best state in Nigeria with low poverty rate by the bureau of statistics for more than four consecutive years primarily on account of the people based initiative of the Chief Servant. The business friendly environment promoted robust clime for private sector investment, youth empowerment scheme, prompt payment of salaries made life less complicated for the people.
Is Governor Aliyu planning to leave the country before handing over date?
Governor Aliyu has no plans to leave Niger state before handing over date. He has concluded plans to handover to Abu Sani Bello, winner of the just concluded governorship election in Niger state. As a democrat who is also passionate of constitutional requirement, is indeed looking forward to the occasion.
Governor Aliyu is still having council meetings few days away to handing over date. He is even commissioning projects. He believes governance is all about service and not subterfuge. He has no reason to shun a ceremony which symbolizes democratic transition of power.
Aliyu has served meritoriously and he will leave as a hero of our fledging democratic experience. You know he is not a coward and the people of Niger are not blind to what he has done. For those who have turned a blind eye to his achievements, we should be sympathetic to their plight.
What should Nigerians expect from the Chief Servant as a chieftain of an opposition party?
He is a very intelligent and people based leader who will keep the ruling party in check. Already the Chief Servant and his colleague Alhaji Sule Lamido have started throwing punches at some defeatist excuses of the APC. The beauty of democracy will come out in few weeks when the administrative whistle goes off and the APC continues to grope in rudderless excuses.
For the Chief Servant, he would keep vigil on the happenings at the center and at the same time ensure that his party the PDP is reconciled with its foundation members, the party structure is reconstructed and the psychology of his party members properly rehabilitated ahead of the 2019 general elections.
In 2019, Buhari must satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians. He must also present himself for a second term. If he fails on one or two of the just mentioned criteria’s, then the APC is finished. We all know the APC is not a national party. It is only sustained by the political pedigree of Gen. Buhari. Once you remove Buhari from the equation, the party is dead.
