Kogi needs better security attention – Ogembe

Ahmed Salau Ogembe is the Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district at the National Assembly. In this Interview with OYIBO SALIHU, he spoke on the 2018 appropriation, current security challenges in Kogi and other issues.

What is your comment on the 2018 budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari?
Mr President has done well by presenting the budget in good time, he should be encouraged. However, budget approval process is not a tea party and I assure you that the National Assembly would commence work immediately on the 2018 Appropriation if federal agencies are ready to appear before relevant committees.

What are your legislative priorities for the 2018 fiscal year?
I have been representing my constituents in the Senate well and I intend to step up my game by attracting more projects to Kogi Central Senatorial District, and will assist more in terms of appointments, skill acquisition and empowerment programmes. I intend to continue to push and lobby for the resuscitation of Ajaokuta Steel Company and the National Iron Ore Mining Company Itakpe. Soon there will be public hearing on my bills and motions to the economy of the nation.

How should the federal government address current economic challenges?
Well, the report of the National Bureau of Statistics says that Nigeria is out of recession marginally and we are still concerned in the Senate on how the nation can benefit from sound economic policies that will bring relief our citizens. The position of the National Assembly is that the current 2017 budget should be funded to reflect the economic yearnings of citizens and boost economic activities.

In recent time, incessant killings and alleged high handedness of security agencies seem to be the order in Kogi Central, what is your view?
Firstly, do keep in mind that I was a former elected chairman of Okene local government, and in that capacity I confronted similar challenges with positive outcomes. The duty of government at all levels is to guarantee peace and security of lives and property.
In the recent time, government efforts has been inadequate in riding Kogi Central of crime because it takes a lot of experience and gathering of information which must be processed with due diligence and intelligence. The approach needs to change to forestall a situation where the people will lose total confidence in government approach because the people I represent are not animals rather they are first class citizens and I won’t allow anyone to demean them, no matter how highly placed.
I commend the Chief of Army Staff on the recent Operation Lion Roar, which was successful. I make bold to say that the Nigerian Army and other security agencies have distinguished themselves by making sure that they didn’t act anyone’s script. However, there have been heightened cases of missing persons, extra judicial killings and abuse of power, which is detrimental to the objective of smoking out the criminals.
My position is that no innocent citizen of Kogi Central should be harassed or killed unjustly for whatever reason and I urge government at all levels to know that the soul of an innocent person will always cry for justice. We are not in a jungle neither are we in a war zone, therefore I will not watch any of my constituents get killed because of their race, believes, religion or political affiliation,
Similarly, I commend Mr. President for curbing breach of security in the North East and his efforts in the reduction of crime across the country. I appeal to all security agencies that they should not allow some desperate politicians to influence their operations or be used to victimize members of the opposition parties for selfish interest.
I want our people to Know that the rights of all citizens of Nigeria and that of Kogi Central Senatorial district is guaranteed under our constitution. Nobody can be enslaved or cowed. So, my advice to our people is that they should go about their religious and political pursuits without fear of intimidation. As their representative, I will continue to ensure that my people are treated with all fairness and dignity.

What advise will you give to the people of your senatorial District at this difficult moment?
The good people of central senatorial district are very hospitable and peaceful and criminality of this dimension has never been known with us. I advise my people to go about their normal businesses and they should have the assurances of the security agencies to deal with the security challenge once and for all.
I equally appeal to traditional rulers, ward heads, community leaders and everyone to support the military and police by providing useful information that will track these criminal elements. Most importantly, the local government administrators and their team should take issues of security very seriously. I make bold to say that a Government that cannot protect her citizens is a failed Government.

What is the political future of your party the PDP ahead of 2019?
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is on ground and ready to move, once we are done with the forthcoming national convention, I assure you that the PDP will be a moving train. Our party has the political and economic experiences to project our nation to where it should rightly belong. All the structures of our party are being nurtured and strengthened as we reorganized ourselves. Meetings and a lot of political realignments will be taking place in the coming days.
The paramount thing is internal democracy and the National Caretaker Committee has directed that there should be no impunity, no imposition and no anti-party activities. I assure you there are better days ahead for party politics in Nigeria because without purposeful opposition to whip them in the line, a ruling party will have no one to check her excesses.

There is insinuation that you are interested in being the next governor of Kogi State?
First of all, by the constitutional provisions l am very much qualified to be governor, but honestly l am not interested. You should also check my antecedent, I have been contributing to my community even before I took to active politics and you can see my personal efforts in my constituency.
Secondly, in my entire political sojourn I have always aspired to be in the senate to represent my people in the hallowed chamber where men of integrity are. Today, I thank God that I have achieved my dream, and I intend to consolidate on it.
My senatorial district had agitated for power shift and by divine intervention power has indeed shifted and a young man from my district, and a young man, Yahaya Bello, is now governor. We should support and respect constituted authority, being by tradition brothers from the same area. I want to be a legislator and to God be the glory I am already one.

Some within your district think the senate should be zoned to another area?
The issue of zoning is just a tool being used by some desperate politicians to advance their political ambition. There is no binding agreement on zoning but there was previous attempt to have zoning arrangement which was jettisoned in the previous elections as candidates emerged across the senatorial zone.
Here in the Senate, some senators have been elected three or more times, the constitution allows a legislator to be elected as many times as possible and there is no term limit. You can’t keep changing your senator every four years in the name of zoning arrangement. How will that help the senatorial district? It will be an advantage to any senatorial district to have a ranking senator, who will have more power to lobby. Ranking Senators are given preference in committee chairmanship, in addition, they have the ability to push federal patronages in terms of projects and appointments to their constituency.

Recently, Senator Dino Melaye representing Kogi West senatorial district moved a motion on the condition of Kogi civil servants and the senate resolved to donate bags of rice, what was your role?
Any decision of the Senate at plenary is binding upon me. Senator Dino Melaye moved a motion under Order 43 of the senate standing rules based on the appeal of the NLC President to Nigerians to rally round Kogi workers and donate relief materials to them. The prayers of the motion were granted and donations of rice, fertilizer etc were taken at plenary, even those who were not around had donations by proxy and I don’t see that as a problem because the senate was only responding positively to the plea of labour.
I think people should look at the message not the messenger because we are not setting a bad precedent. You will recall that Gov Bello had severally donated food items to Kogi citizens. I recalled that he donated thousands of bags of rice to polling units to mark the Democracy Day and to assist the needy.

Leave a Reply