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By Turaki A. Hassan
THE Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, received a rousing welcome to his home state of Bauchi on May 5. Ordinarily, a representative’s visit to his constituency should not attract fanfare but this was not just an ordinary constituency visit. He had been away from Bauchi for some time, even though he was in the state four months ago, and frequently hosts different groups from across the state in Abuja.
The Speaker had remained silent and kept mum for more than one and half years, even in the face of provocation, blackmail, campaign of calumny and calculated attempts to tarnish his reputation as a humble, patriotic, incorruptible and worthy representative of Bauchi state by powers that be in the state. As previously stated, it is not that the Speaker has not been visiting home. For the record, he was in Bauchi last August and December and was billed to go back in April this year, which means that he goes back to give account of his stewardship to the good people of Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa Federal Constituency every three to four months.
Readers may recall that very recently, the Bauchi state government issued a statement in which it alleged that the Speaker had gone on “exile” and cannot visit his constituency which, to it, amounts to an abdication of responsibility, even though they know that he was there just four months ago. In his response, Dogara stated that as a Federal lawmaker, he was elected to work in Abuja and as such he is not supposed to be seen frequently in Bauchi as doing so could be considered a dereliction of duty. He further added that as Speaker, he visits Honourable members’ constituencies to help launch their projects and programmes and attend other social events cutting across the 36 states of the Federation, which effectively denies him the luxury of visiting his constituency often. Regrettably, however, he said, those who were elected to work in Bauchi are now the ones who are seen more frequently in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and other cities across the country and even foreign lands, meaning that they spend more time outside their place of primary assignment.
Rumours had permeated every nook and cranny of the state that Hon. Dogara could not visit his home state as he might have been declared persona non grata by the powers that be. But, to their chagrin, the speaker’s visit was announced well ahead of time in both local and national media to put them on notice that he would be going home on May 5, and contrary to what had been said, a mammoth crowd had gathered to wait for hours at the Plateau/Bauchi border to welcome their son, and the party continued from one village to another up to Bauchi city.
Normally, it is a one-hour journey from Jos to Bauchi, but it took us almost four hours due to heavy vehicular movement as we stopped, every 20 to 30 kilometres, to greet the thousands of citizens who came out en masse to welcome and cheer Dogara and well over 162 Federal MPs, friends and associates, who went with him straight to Sir AbubakarTafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital where he moved from one ward to another consoling patients who were children, women, young and old.
The Speaker, together with his colleagues, settled medical bills of many patients. In April last year, he sent a team of 60 medical doctors, surgeons and nurses to the same hospital where they attended to the medical needs of over 50,000 people from Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Plateau, Yobe, Gombe, Adamawa ,Borno and Taraba state for two weeks.
Very early the next day, precisely on May 6, the Speaker commissioned a market donated to Bogoro community by a good Samaritan which he facilitated, and then inspected the state of work at Government Girls Secondary School, Tafawa Balewa, where he attracted Federal presence with the total renovation of the school and building and equipping of ultra modern ICT centre among other laudable projects.
The gathering brought together old friends and foes, and was attended by not fewer than 30,000 people including women and children. It also attracted the presence of big political stalwarts and juggernauts in the state, including the immediate past Govenor, Malam Isa Yuguda, Hon. Yusuf Tugga, Senator Maikafi, Senator Adamu Gumba, Senator Mohammed Mohammed, scores of retired former permanent secretaries in the state, retired or dethroned traditional rulers numbering about 100 who were removed by the present government, students, and a number of cultural groups which performed to entertain the guests.
Now, one thing that is unique about the road projects is that there were never roads in those places. We drove along the route which will soon become a first class Federal road through the thick forests and bushes for four hours, stopping over to address the people who had waited since 2pm to meet with their Rep and our journey terminated in Platuea state where the Sarkin Talbushi in Kanam local government of Plateau state, Alhaji Ma’aji Gamna, turbaned the Speaker as Maga Yakin Jhar, meaning the chief warrior of Jhar land.
I must admit that of all the dozen villages and towns the Speaker visited, commissioning healthcare centres, water and electricity projects, schools including big Almajiri schools he built in Fulani communities, Dull, a community also in Tafawa Balewa local government stood out. The people especially youths positioned themselves more than five kilometres ahead to receive the Speaker. Sarkin Dull, Alhaji Zulkiflu Abdullahi, was recently deposed by the Bauchi state government after he refused to go on state radio to read a prepared text attacking Hon. Dogara. The chief had said that he would rather be removed than go against his conscience and his people to attack and blackmail a patriotic and peace-loving leader who attracted projects that will forever change the destiny of his people and their land, especially the road which will link his community to neighbouring Plataeu and Taraba states.
The roads are entirely new roads that will open up these communities and link them with other parts of the country across the three states with their total cost or value put at over N50 billion, and the Speaker gave assurance that the road project will be completed within the next two years.
Apparently overwhelmed with joy, the visibly elated Malam Isa Yuguda told the mammoth crowd that it was the first time Federal projects of such magnitude were attracted to Bauchi since the creation of the state and urged the people to keep praying for the Speaker so that he can do more for them. When it was his turn to speak, Dogara, the orator, didn’t disappoint anyone present. He reminded the people that all the solar-powered streetlights in the three local governments are his projects. No wonder, they also call him “mai solar”, and added that he just completed total renovation of Dass central mosque which he later inspected after the event.
Indeed, if staying in Abuja to work and attract unprecedented number of federal projects by MPs is seen or misinterpreted mischievously in some quarters as going on exile, then not only Bauchi people but Nigerians would rather have them stay put in their places of primary assignment instead of junketing from one city or country to another as is now the norm with their traducers.
Hassan is the Special Adviser on Media &Public Affairs to Speaker Yakubu Dogara.
