(The Chibok crisis) clearly shows that President Jonathan is a weak leader, it is either he is hiding something or he is incompetent to the extent that he cannot give the country good leadership that is why we need a change of government in 2015
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am Binta Rabiu Spikin, a 2011 graduate of Mass Communication from Bayero University, Kano. I am a former staff of Triumph newspapers; later a columnist with Abuja-based Blueprint Newspaper. Presently, I am the Special Assistant to Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on Research and Documentation; I am happily married with children.
Tell us about some of your functions here.
The office of the governor is a busy and energy-sapping office. We in Documentation and Research unit work tirelessly to bring to the notice of the governor some society-related issues that he may not be aware of like rape cases, prostitution, broken marriages, and what people are saying about the government. We also package, document and publicize the achievements of the governor, we are doing a lot here.
Are you a politician?
By virtue of the fact that I am holding a political appointment, I am already a politician. Most of our issues here are politically motivated.
What is your take on the call by Kwankwaso’s supporters for him to contest for the presidency in 2015?
Positive, General Buhari should step down for Kwankwaso, he is a bit old and not exactly a polished politician also, his military background is still haunting him. Kwankwaso is a seasoned politician, a schemer. Take the just concluded local government elections in Kano for example, the Governor was formally in PDP, he came to office on the ticket of PDP, but when he crossed over to APC and Shekarau moved over to PDP. You can see the difference, APC won 44 chairmanship seats and 484 councillorship seats. Shekarau’s PDP did not win a single seat. In total APC got over two million votes, while PDP got about 200,000 votes, and it’s a total defeat.
President Jonathan recently accused the Governor of squandering N225 billion LG’s funds, is that correct?
I am sure you are also aware of the governor’s reply that if they are asking for money that accrues to Kano LGs in three years they should go to North-west University. Over 2,000 students, male and female, were sent abroad to study different courses, ranging from medicine, marine engineering and commercial piloting. Check the giant multi-billion flyovers he constructed in Kano, the five kilometers express roads in all the 44 local governments, the primary school feeding programme, the free uniform programme. Education in Kano is free at all levels. Tell me, what else do you want?
Is it true that the Governor is rigid, stubborn and does not take advice as some people say?
Kano state need the likes of Kwankwaso to govern them, Nigerians need the likes of the Governor to govern them, it is only someone like Kwankwaso that can do what he did during the Kofar Na’isa land crisis. The land which belongs to Kano people were shared out to powerful Generals, traditional rulers and other individuals who are not Kano indigenes. Of course the governor revoked the allocation and turned the place into a recreational centre. The day the governor will leave office I can tell you will be my saddest day; I am prepared to work with the governor in any capacity in future.
What is your hobby?
I like reading a lot, I like cooking, I watch religious films and I like my job here and other challenges of life, I would go back to the university and acquire more degrees.
Finally, as a mother what do you have to say about the abducted Chibok schoolgirls?
To me it clearly shows that President Jonathan is a weak leader. It is either he is hiding something or he is incompetent to the extent that he cannot give the country good leadership. That is why we need a change of government in 2015. People should vote President Jonathan out of office democratically. Let Kwankwaso contest in 2015, he has proved himself as bold, hardworking and a selfless leader, at least Kano people can testify to that, let him extend what he did in Kano to all Nigerians.
