Kano: Repositioning Our Political Representatives

In all democracies allover the world, the business of legislating is a very important ingredient in the running of such types of government. They represent the yearnings and inspirations of those they represents, and in the case of Nigeria as elsewhere , every individual legislator represents the voice and speaks on behalf of his/her constituency and articulate their positions on national and state issues, and vote on their behalf when the need arise.

Kano states, like other states in the country have legislators in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Views of Nigerians may differ on how they feel their legislators are representing them. Some may be satisfied, while others will even argue that their legislators for non performing to their expectations.

With the highest numbers of Members in the House of Representatives in the country, and three Senators like other states, Kano, had more than enough to represent them in the National Assembly. But the questions lingering are these representatives of the people of Kano state really equipped and articulated to stand and speak their minds in the National Assembly?

In the National Assembly, currently how many among them (Members of the House of Representatives) from Kano state, are outspoken? With the exception of Hon. Faruk Lawan and to some extent Hon. Kawu Sumaila, it will seem that other Members in the House are either bench warmers , if they even happen to be attending the House sittings , or are merely local champions who can only speak in local radio stations when they happen to be in Kano. Informing whoever cares to listen or know how many sewing machines, motorcycles, bags of rice, cloths e.t.c they are able to share to their lieutenants who form their campaign teams.

Also in the Senate, before Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, replaced Alhaji Aminu Sule Garo, only the voice of Senator Kabiru Gaya is heard among the Kano Senators in the Senate. Others are either intimidated or incompetent to represent the people of their constituency. They are more active not on the numbers of bills and motions they sponsored, but on charitable activities they keep informing the people through the local radios, such charities bread laziness to the youth and later turn to bootlicking and beggarage.

What always baffle me is that whenever there is any very important issue of national importance, we are told to channel our views, opinions or grievances through our legislators. As most Nigerians do how can Kano state populace be heard through bench warmers. Where, when and how can we contact our legislators to pass our inputs to draw the attention of the National or State Assemblies?

Being in Kano Central, with Senator Muhammad Bello as my Senator, from Tarauni Local Government where Hon. Mohammed Abubakar Mai-Fata is our Representative in the National Assembly , Hon. Kabiru Muhammad as my representative in the State House of Assembly , and I am not the type seeking political patronage, when , where and how can we locate them? Where are their offices located? Their telephone numbers? Their e-mail address? Or their websites? Our communication with these so called representatives of ours is broken totally.

I am using them as a case study for many may have similar problems like me. Those with access to these representatives are some selected few and those seeking for some personal favours. How will other electorates know about their activities on their behalf and where do we get feedback from them?

In our present time with many channels of dissemination of information, it will be advisable for our legislators to have many channels of informing those they represents their activities in either National or State Assembly. At least they should have a website posted with up to date their functions in either State or National Assembly. They should also have mobile phone numbers that their constituents can at least text them to express their views on what they feel about some bills and motions debated.

Our legislators are the ones creating more problems for themselves as some of them had changed their functions or duties to charitable works (which I am not against) at the expense of functions in the chambers which is making laws. They should always keep their constituents informed on the bills and motions to be debated and seek their inputs especially on very sensitive national issues.

Kano legislators should brace up to face the challenges of legislating in the 21st century by drawing a line between charitable works and their functions of making laws. Charitable works should not over shadow what they are sent by their constituency to represent them. Though we know about constituency projects which many of them pretends as if they are using their hard earned money to execute.

The people of Kano state need qualitative legislators in the next dispensation come 2011. They need those legislators that can stand not only within the chambers to articulate and present the needs and wants of their constituents, but if the need arise anywhere within the country.

Money politics, god fatherism and party sentiment should not be a yardstick in electing our next legislators in both the State and National Assembly, as these are among the factors that hinder the constituencies from having capable hands that can fully represent them.

For some of us in Kano Central, our present Senator, Muhammad Bello should in 2011 seek for other suitable things he can do for himself or the state and the country in general as he is not giving us the required befitting image in the Senate. As for our constituency in the National Assembly, Abubakar Mai-Fata as a Member representing Tarauni in the National Assembly should also step aside in 2011 elections to allow capable hands to occupy Tarauni seat. He has tried in providing schemes to teach some few youths how to learn some trades, but how many bills and motions did he moved before the lower chamber on behalf of Tarauni constituency ?

Kano needs the types of Hon. Faruk Lawan in the lower chamber and Senators like Kabiru Gaya in the upper chamber. The era of legislators that cannot even post a mail, feel intimidated by their other colleague or even too incompetent to argue their case, such caliber of Members need somebody to stand for them talk less of their constituency. This scenario should come to an end in 2011. Kano needs legislators that will be reliable, competent and compatible with the 21st century new order.

Shehu Mustapha Chaji
shehuchaji@yahoo.com

Of two promises in December

Written by Shehu Mustapha Chaji

Every listener of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hausa service is aware and looking forward to the fulfilment of promises made by a serving and a former Minister. They promised Nigerians unconditionally under no duress on different platforms and reasons. In one interview that Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure, the Minister for Special Duties, granted the radio station, he promised Nigerians that they will unfailingly enjoy 6,000 megawatts of power in the month of December (2009). Also, in the same radio station, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, promised to be in Nigeria before Christmas day (2009).

What made these promises unique is that none of them (Kazaure and el-Rufa’i) was forced to make the promises to Nigerians. And since then, Nigerians have been looking forward to the month of December to see if the promises would be fulfilled. Will both of them fulfil their promises or will both of them make excuses for their inability to fulfil their promises? And lastly, will one of them fulfil his promise and the other unable to do so?

Leaders and men of repute all over the world are mindful of the responsibilities they shoulder and these always make them to be mindful of their words and actions. In some societies, when men of nobility realise that they cannot fulfil the promises they made, they either resign or apologise for their inability to do so. And this has made such societies to value, respect and honour their leaders as very serious people.

On the other hand, when citizens of a country come to realise that their leaders always make promises that they cannot fulfil, it affects their relationship in whatever the leadership plans to do in the future. The personality of whoever fails to fulfil a promise that he voluntarily makes is at stake; nobody will ever take him/her serious again.

Due to the importance of electricity in the modern world and availability of it constantly as the gateway to industrial development, Nigerians were very happy with Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure’s promise of 6000 megawatts in the month of December. I personally have been monitoring the hours we get electricity daily in the part I live in Kano. It has been improving and getting worse at the same time. Sometimes, we enjoy electricity for about two to six hours daily and almost complete blackout for a day or more. It has really improved unlike in the past when we’d spend about a week without electricity.

Ibrahim Kazaure had even promised to take Hajiya Jamilah Tangaza, the Head of BBC Hausa service to any state and village of her choice on 31st December, 2009 to see for herself and bear witness on how by then Nigerians would be enjoying electricity. Nigerians will be looking forward to hear her part of the story (Tangaza) after 31st December, 2009.

On the part of Nasir el-Rufa’i, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who is on the wanted list of the EFCC for corrupt practices who’s also presently a critic of President Umaru Yar’adua’s government, has vowed to return to Nigeria from self exile before Christmas day. He vowed to return even if he would lose his life. el-Rufa’i is fighting the battle of his life as his integrity, personality and name are at stake.

To some Nigerians, el-Rufa’i is a hero who fearlessly and religiously implemented the Abuja Master Plan. In their opinion, he brought sanity and beauty to the Federal Capital Territory while some Nigerians also view him as a sadist, the chief executor of any anti-human, masses and people policies of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. The name Nasir el-Rufa’i means terror to those whose homes and source of livelihood he had destroyed and to the families of those that lost their lives due to the after shock of his actions.

Many Nigerians will like el-Rufa’i to be back to clear his name on several allegations of corruption, self-enrichment and abuse of power, if he is innocent. If he is innocent, he will earn more respect from Nigerians. They will continue to count the days before Christmas, expecting el-Rufa’i’s return to the country.

Kazaure and el-Rufai’s promises to Nigerians in December are all very important -- 6,000 megawatts of electricity will definitely add value to Nigerians’ way of life and economy. The billions of naira that el-Rufa’i is being asked to account for when he returns in December will most likely return to the treasury. And if they’re lies, Nigerians will know that he has no monies of theirs with him.

May Almighty Allah strengthen them in fulfilling their promises to Nigerians in the month of December.

Chaji can be reached through shehuchaji@yahoo.com

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