Alhaji Lawal Ibrahim Mani is a prominent politician in Katsina state. He contested the 2015 governorship election on the platform of Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP). He is also a philanthropist having assisted over 5000 youths and less privileged to rediscover themselves. Mani spoke with HAMIDU SABO and exposed, among other things, how he rejected N100 million gift from PDP official some weeks to the election, how he supported the candidature of APC Governor–elect, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, and the failure of the out-going administration of Shema.
Sir, how would you assess the outgoing administration of Shema and what advice do you have for the incoming one?
We thanked God that the People Democratic Party (PDP) administration has come to an end, this simply means, the end of insecurity has come, the end of massive killings and destruction of properties has come, the end of poverty and corruption has come to an end and the end of looting and disrespect for human dignity has finally ended in this country – we must believe that, PDP administration has failed woefully in almost all the sectors of our national life that is why Nigerians decided to change the leadership so that the country will prosper and move to a right direction and we must to accept that change has finally come and by God grace Nigeria will now have a focus and progress will soon be seeing in various developmental sectors, like the case of Katsina state, we have to thanked the Almighty God for the peaceful elections we witnessed and for bringing Hon Aminu Bello Masari to serve as the state governor, because the state will now witness a rapid change from the most loved leader, because Masari is the leader we can trust going by his past record as a speaker House of Representatives, I want to believe that the differences will be clear to all to see because it will not be the same with the past administration of Ibrahim Shema were contracts only awards to himself, his sons, his friends and Kaduna peoples.
Where do you think precisely Masari can provide change?
This is the most simply thing. You are aware that Masari has formed a committees even before his election and the committee went round the state and detected problems and suggested a way forward, and also we have the records during his campaigns period he slept in each of the 34 local governments areas where he got the opportunity to interact with the masses in each of the communities.
Unlike other political parties who only visited the areas for some hours and left, Masari is a seasonal administrator who has Katsina at heart he has a good agenda in education, Health, Agriculture and poverty programme. You see Masari has already taken a step towards improving education by enrolling his children into public school and equally emphasizes that each political appointees and elected officer in the state most enrol his child into Government schools and also urged them to attend Government hospital with their families instead of patronizing private ones.
The out- going administration of Shema says it has not borrowed a Kobo to run the state do you agree?
It’s not too clear, because there is a differences between not borrowing a Kobo and leaving no debt behind, what we know is that, Governor Shema is leaving a huge debt, debt in the since that, pensioners were crying for not collecting their pension and gratuity, contractors were crying for not collecting their balances, is this not a debt?, local government councils operate under debt because there is no money in the joint account, in fact to my understanding there is debt in Katsina whether Shema borrowed or not borrow there is debt behind.
Why do you support APC while you are a candidate of MPPP?
Of course, I contested the governorship seat under MPPP, but along the line, I meant to understand that, I have the same ideology with, the Hon, Masari because I do listen to his campaigns and he talks reasonably, that is why I respect him and equally consider him as a statesman, I respect him also because I saw seriousness in him, I knew him as a man of his words, so therefore I decided to support him to move Katsina forward, I also sympathizers with him because he contested the governorship seat for the 3rd term and people loved him, you see I supported him and work for his victory, and it was because of him I rejected the People Democratic Party (PDP) offer of 100 million naira to support Nashuni some weeks to the election, because I saw nothing from both Nashuni and the PDP, in fact I am highly disappointed with PDP leadership in Katsina, because I consider the 16 years of the party as a waste, since going by the record a lot of funds was wasted in mispriority projects.
It’s quite un fortunate that the state was rated second in terms of poverty level in the country despite the billions of naira allocated to the state by the federal government, it is disheartened when you look at the BIO – Gas project, the for fertilizer blend constructed in Mai’adua, Batsari, Daura Bio – gas, Kankara, Kurfi and Charanchi none of them is functioning today and Billions was spend on these projects.
It’s unbelievable the unprecedented scarcity of drinking water, lack of fertilizer lack of electricity, high cost of medical bills and indiscipline of government official and still no remorse from the leadership. You see the party has only failed even before the election.
What advice do you have to both out-going and the new government?
I am calling on the out – going to seek for forgiveness from the masses, because they cheated them a lot, their government refused to give them, good health, qualitative education, portable drinking water no security in fact no food in Katsina as many people hardly eat twice during the PDP administration; the in-coming administration must bear in mind that, they were elected by the majority people of the state, they were elected under free, fair and peaceful atmosphere therefore, they have a lot to do to rescue people from hunger and artificial poverty, they have a lot to do safe the soul of communities by providing health facilities and good drinking water.
