Follow Us on Google
By Zander Imaseun
I have just been intimated of the scholarship bonanza that is going on in Zamfara State. If the bold move were from the state government, we would easily explain it as one of the dividends of democracy that the people should enjoy as of right. But the scheme in question is a private initiative from the senator representing Zamfara West in the National Assembly, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari. And that says a lot about who he is. The easy inference that can be drawn from this public good is that the man is in public office to serve.
The scheme is a privately funded educational initiative, which supports 2,055 indigent and orphaned students from all the 14 local government areas of Zamfara State. The programme covers tuition and registration fees for all the students concerned. Each of the students receives, in addition, a monthly allowance of N15,000 to cover transportation and other incidental expenditures.
Those who have taken time out to identify with this people-centred gesture of the senator are doing so because it is not common in our shores to find public spirited individuals such as Senator Yari. One of the major problems besetting Nigeria today is that of youth unemployment. A huge number of our youths are idle. They do not have anything meaningful to engage them. And since we are told that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, we find these unemployed youths engaging in criminal and anti-social activities. They feel left out. They are hungry for what to do. It is against this background that we can appreciate the good job Senator Yari is doing. In commending him, we must bear in mind the fact that when you train a child, you are building a nation. An educated citizenry is a productive one. When people receive an education, they channel their energies into worthwhile ventures. But an uneducated, untrained mind is a problem not only to himself but to society at large. The senator who has decided to help the youth to become useful to themselves is, by his action, making a huge contribution to nation- building.
The people of Zamfara, it must be said, are lucky to have a man like Senator Yari who, obviously, is filled with the milk of human kindness. If one tenth of privileged Nigerians are as touched by the condition of the people as Yari, many of the underprivileged will be pulled out of their pitiable condition. But how many well-to-do Nigerians really care? Only a minuscule few. Senator Yari is therefore one in a million. He deserves all the accolades that we can afford to give.
Other News
It must be said that Yari is an all rounder. When he was governor of Zamfara state, he excelled in infrastructural development. He established Zamfara State University to boost education in the state. With the establishment of that universe, many Zamfara indigenes who could not find spaces in some other universities can now be accommodated. As a philanthropist, he is also known to have been providing food items with which many families feed themselves. As senator in charge of water resources, he has ensured the provision of boreholes to communities that need them. Beyond infrastructure, the man is also actively involved in human capital development. In religious matters, the man constantly sponsors people for pilgrimage. With this, their spiritual lives are enriched. Senator Yari is also into peace-building. He is known to have spearheaded dialogues and programmes that will enhance religious and ethnic harmony in the country. He does this because he recognizes that peaceful coexistence is a sine qua non for progress and unity. The scholarship programme under consideration here is a good example of the man’s commitment to ensuring that the state, indeed the country, boasts of professionals in various fields who will deploy their skills into building the country.
How about the uncaring ones among us? We can only encourage them to borrow one or two things from Senator Yari. They should learn that what matters in life is not the quantum of material things you have at your disposal. Those primitive acquisitions fade easily. They do not endure. What stands the test of time is the legacy one leaves behind. When you help to put food on the table of those who do not have, they will pray for you. They will wish you well. They will ask God to bless you more because they know that the less privileged will be blessed in turn by your gestures. When a man like Senator Yari chooses to train the less privileged, he is doing so in order for the beneficiaries of the scheme to be better human beings. When that happens, as it is bound to, the law of reciprocity will naturally apply. One good turn will naturally deserve another.
Beyond all this, the gesture can also be viewed from the prism of national security. Nigeria has gone bunkers owing to the activities of criminal elements. Many Nigerian youths now find our bushes very habitable because such places are providing them the shield they need to perpetrate crimes. This ugly trend has unsettled the country. And it must be halted if Nigeria will not descend into the abyss. Under this circumstance, those who wish the country well must sit back to think and take action. One of such actions is what Senator Yari is doing. He has identified the vulnerable in his state and he is doing his best to uplift them. When the beneficiaries of his scholarship scheme graduate from their various universities, their lives will never be the same again. They would have acquired the necessary skills that will equip them for the challenges of life. Crime and criminality will be far-fetched from their thinking faculties. We need the Senator Yari touch to be replicated in other states of the federation. This can be done when the rich in our midst spare a thought for the poor and the vulnerable. Let those who have the means to do what Senator Yari is doing in their own localities take action. Together, the country can be taken out of our present situation where insecurity and other vices are choking the country.
•Imaseun, a media professional, writes from Lagos
