Muhammad Nuradeen Umar is an APC lawmaker and the Minority Leader, Niger state House of Assembly. Ahead of the National Convention of his party scheduled for this week, the lawmaker spoke to AWAAL GATA on the party’s convention, alleged shortcomings on the PDP-led government in Niger state and how the APC could ensure victory in the 2015 polls
My participation in politics
I have this never-quenching feeling that I am for the people. Since politics is for the people, I feel I should be in the fold to work for the people since I am for them. Politics is now deemed to be the bedrock of power sharing; I feel I should be in the fold in order to have a platform to execute my missions and visions for the people and the country.
Impact as a legislator
A legislator has a scope of works he does – making laws and impressing on the government to abide by the laws so made. Being the representative of the people of Kontagora-1 in the Niger state House of Assembly, I have been able to make laws or participate in making laws that would give the people a sense of belonging.
I have sponsored four bills and more are on the way coming. Apart from these four, there have been joint bills co-sponsored with colleagues with like minds. About nine bills will be out soon.
What are those four bills about?
The first one is about Public Private Partnership (PPP), which I chair in the House. The bill focuses on how to effectively implement PPP in Niger state to the benefit of the people. One bill I am readily proud of was co-sponsored by two of my colleagues. It is on privatization policy in the state. It focuses on privatization and investment, and articulately structured to enhance investment in the state. It would give investors free participation, and thereby creating employment opportunities for the people of the state. There is also this one co-sponsored with the present Speaker of the House. The last one is on vehicular parking. In the state, we have Tafa, Tegina, Mokwa, Lambata, Makera and other towns where trucks park anyhow. It is not good for us; so we had to come up with a bill which will become a law that will address the situation and, as well, generate revenue for the state. It is in second reading now; in a few days, we are hoping to pass it.
Executive/legislature’s relationship
In every state in this country, the executive arm encroaches on the legislative. It is because of a simple reason: lack of financial autonomy. Unlike the National Assembly, State Assemblies don’t have financial autonomy. Money is given to them by the executive arm to run their affairs, and there is this saying that ‘you cannot bite the hand that feeds you’. But, to an extent, I don’t believe in it. I am a legislator; I work with the constitution and I respect the rule of law. Forget it, the money the executive gives does not belong to it or the House of Assembly, even; I don’t believe that because you give me money as a legislator, money which is fully statutory, you will determine what I do and not do. In Niger state, since I got to the House in 2011, the executive arm has dabbled into our affairs in many instances.
The one that readily comes to mind was the impeachment saga that rocked the House in 2012. First of all, more than two-third of the members signed for the impeachment of the then Speaker, Mohammed Tsowa Gamunu, to pave way for a down-to-earth and competent person, Isah Kawu. We all voted for him, and he became the Speaker. But after four or five days, the talk gripped the air that the governor was not comfortable with him. I don’t really know why. Eventually, the same colleagues of mine who fought in the House to bring Isah Kawu were the same people that spearheaded his impeachment.
What happened exactly?
Of course! They were bribed with money to have a change of mind. So many people contacted me to come and get mine but I declined, telling them that I am a person with conscience that can never be bought. When we removed Gamunu, nothing was given to us, so collecting money to remove Isah Kawu was a sick idea which has thrown the integrity and the honour of the House, as well as democracy itself, into the pit.
Expectations at APC national convention
APC is fully ready for the convention; it is one of the party’s gateways into success in the next year’s general elections where PDP would be unseated. From the look of things, PDP is now the opposition party in the country – thanks to the merger that gave birth to APC and the teeming supports it is getting from Nigerians. Nigerians have experimented with the PDP since 1999, unfortunately the party has not been able to change their lives. APC was born to rescue the situation, and Nigerians know that. That is why it is now the reigning party. People have seen the deceit PDP is made of since 1999 and have decided to embrace APC.
On the convention, I wish to tell you that in anything APC is doing, it ensures that a room is given to democracy. We don’t allow injustice. We are out to promote and entrench what democracy really is in this country, and we do it as judicious as possible. From the first day, this is what APC is made of; hence the convention wouldn’t be a difference.
Choice of presidential candidate/running mate
I am not taking sides but saying the glaring truth; the next president, whether from PDP, APC, APGA or whatever, ought to come from the North. And if I were to choose a candidate for the APC, with due respect to my political mentor, General Muhammadu Buhari, I would want him to work from the background and pave way for the new Muhammadu Buharis that have emerged. See what is happening in Kano state now; whether you like it or not, Rabi’u Kwankwaso is the country’s best present governor and that makes him the best presidential candidate in Nigeria today. I think if we have him to spearhead the affairs of this country, things will change for good, and positive change is what we need the most in this country now. So, if APC wants to pull it through, it should go for Kwankwaso/Ameachi ticket.
Like Kwankwaso, Amaechi is a dogged fighter. Again, both of them are agents of change. Every Nigerian can testify to their laudable achievements as governors in their respective states.
And the governorship ticket in your state?
Let me not be biased; Niger needs someone that is down to earth and has respect for individuals. So far, we have not had a governor that has the interest of the common man at heart, so we need such person to turn the fortunes of the state around. In Niger’s APC right now, we hear of Abu Sani Bello and David Umar vying for the seat. Automatically, David Umar is out of the contest due to the fact that he is from Zone ‘A’, and the governorship seat has been zoned to Zone ‘C’ because since 1999, the zone has not produced a governor. Weighing Abu Sani Bello; he is educated, young and possesses the requisite acumen but he has this problem in him that could cost him his dream.
What is that problem?
Respect for individuals. Secondly, he doesn’t respect the major stakeholders of the party. For example, I come from the same ward with him but he has never reached out to me. Whether he likes it or not, I am the number one APC member in my ward by the virtue of the position I am occupying.
On fear that he could dump the party after winning the seat
That is what people have been saying; I can’t tell whether it is the truth or not. If the people are right, maybe that is why he has been avoiding the stakeholders to get a binding agreement to get to where he wants to get to.
Ban on Okada
Let me reveal to you that there was no law passed about the ban as far as the Niger state House of Assembly is concerned.
Was it not supposed to come through the House?
Yes, if it is a law, it supposed to come through the House. All we know was when the governor came to present 2014 budget he mentioned that operations of commercial motorcycles would be banned starting from a given date. Having mentioned that, we expected to receive a written letter to that effect but we did not. So also, the ban is a good concept, but it is not well planned. Maybe that is why they did not bring it to the House. They knew we had to subject it through many checks and balances.
How would it have been done?
Statistically, there were about 20,000 motor bikers in Niger state and more than half of them operated in the state capital, Minna. But the governor enforced a ban by providing only 1000 tricycles. What then should be the fate of thousands of other motor bikers? Most of them are now embracing crimes in order to eke out a living. If I were the governor of Niger, I would mimmick Donald Duke on the way he banned Okada when he was governor. Duke’s strategy has made Calabar the neatest city in the country since then.
Assessing Niger since 1999
Sincerely speaking, the pace at which development is moving in Niger state is very very slow, compared to military regime. Forget about the military regime; go and see the achievements of Kwankwaso in just three years; go and see that of Danjuma Goje too, then you will know that Niger is a sham. Weigh Gombe and Niger today, you will see that Gombe is far more developed. When was Niger created and when was Gombe created? Now, all the states that were created in 1976 with Niger are far far ahead of us. I expected the present governor, because of his level of education and exposure, to uplift the state or at least put it on a good track, not knowing that his administration will be the worst. He now has only a year to go, and the state is rather under-developed under his watch and leadership
Are you saying Kure’s administration did better?
Definitely, Kure left a number of tactile developments, unlike Aliyu who would go with zilch. If Aliyu’s visions were implemented, Niger would have been one of the best states in the country. I would rather say Aliyu’s big projects were confined to the papers, but Kure’s little concepts were seen on the ground.