By Abubakar Ibrahim, Minna
The executive Chairman of Suleja local government of Niger State honourable Ahmed Kassim Diko, in this brief Media Chat with reporters speaks on the state of security, Youth empowerment, achievements in office less than 100 days plus grassroots, education al, Health others and Abubakar Ibrahim was there for The Polity News.
Excerpt;
Q; You have spent less than 100 days in office, What are your achievement, in area of socio-economy, political stability plus infrastructural development?
Hon. Kassim; As a matter of fact , I have started by doing the little achievement, because that when you carry everybody along and open up the democratic chance you will give everybody the opportunity to contribute and that will make everybody feel sense of belonging and they will be able to come to developed, contribute to the particular administration more so I know being a politician and I can’t run a party without very strong membership that has see us as agent in progress and because of that sense of belonging many of them decided to quit their party and join APC, and more so the APC, will make sure thing change for better and on security angle I have work extra-mile to conduct my security and I promise my people in suleja to always sleep with their two close and times without numbers I do address my stakeholders and the emir of Suleja who is our father Auwal Ibrahim informing them of what we are doing here, and I have I have also conduct numbers of meeting with the suleja local government and stakeholders which they appreciate our effort, you know carrying them along will be easier to translate your policy into action.
Q; what is your relationship with the Legislature?
Hon. Kassim; Well unfortunately the system does not create opportunity for a complement between the executive and the legislature as you may be a were the is an amendment to the local government law from the state though even is an aberration but its confusing since the federal government is on presidential system the state also on presidential system but our Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello deem it fit to reduce the cost of governance to introduce parliamentary system to the local government so as to feel in our action along ,we at the council even the appointment of supervisory councilors which should have been my prerogative to choose from any where iam to go by the law definitely there should be no problem because we are working together its our both responsibility we sat down and think together.
Q; What do you expect to achieve without waiting for state government allocation, it it partnership? Or only revenue allocation?
Hon. Kassim; you see Suleja local government is not like other local government it urban in nature and cosmopolitan again it has constant trend by virtue of proximity to the federal capital territory Abuja so the is constant in floors of the people the local government , it need expansion of infrastructural and when you find yourself as a leader you need to provide social amenities, and for you to achieve that you need not to fold your hands waiting for state government but should be able to go through IGR so as to do that.
Q; Education is one of the achievement that should be put in, what is your plan on this?
Hon. Kassim; my plan on education first and foremost ,I want you to know the pathetic situation in Suleja and that is the constant inflows that heavy population density to some school in Suleja local government , some of the schools you go you will find about 150 in a class whereas ideally which suppose to be 30 in a class, so in this excess the is a need to if I have fund to build additional class room and as well as employed more teachers if I am really going to make impart not even to talk of schools where are in deplorable situation .
Q; Youth are the vanguard for Democracy, what is your say to this?
Hon. Kassim; youth are the bed rock even our futures and any community that does not do his best to develop the youth is a fail society and remain under developed so right from inception I have done my best to them in the area of job opportunity for example in two week ago I have created some arrangement which may be for the youth will be provided employment for about 271 youth and each of them will earn 10,000 naira monthly you can even earn more than that how active you are and I did not stop there I have equally approach the state cooperative for creating wealth for them , I have spoke with the state director of the cooperative in Minna couple of days back in short I have done well in that area of cooperative and have done my best upgrade some of the corporate organization including that of women putting palliative measure to assist them through state and ward bank assistance and agricultural bank.
Q; The area of security, as the chief security officer of this local government, what is your achievements on the security?
Hon. Kassim; first, I promise as I remain here as chairman and as the chief security officer people of suleja local government should always sleep with their eyes close respective to that we have share ideal with the security operative and we have been encouraging them the security agent to be proactive and I have taking the issue very serious it one of my agenda and primary assignment due to my experience in the military school Zaria I know how to handle that with the security operative collectively.
Q; Let talk about Health is there in your blue-print, how far you have been in this sector?
Hon. Kassim; Thank God within this little period God has giving us we have touched every sector in health sector , you see its problem of fund and as you may be aware that in Niger State the governor has not giving us any fund for development so far, however with the little from IGR I was able to work , able to put a cottage hospital and have put in some quality doctor ,pharmacy and I called Dr. ladan to commission it for me and he personally came and commission it for me and he was impressed and I ended up there by equipping the clinic with drug s and other necessary materials , facilities and you should also be a were that Suleja local government have about 32existing primary health care clinics and definitely all of them are need to be repairs however I have done inventory of their requirement so as if any fund come across to me I will make continuity in the hospital development even presently the ii another hospital that is under construction at padama abushi area which will soon ready for use also I look at the largest primary health care at Maje and Madalla respectively are in deplorable situation but effort is on top gear to put them normal and I have also send five of my staff to Kaduna for training to be specialize on eyes treatment so as to have them with us in case any eyes problem.
Q; Also sport is one of the aspect of youth ,how do you arrange sport in your administration?
Hon. Kassim; During the recent workers day I wanted to improves the morale and the health of the staff of my local government I had organized friendly match to them and similarly I have it in mind to create chairmanship cup and I want to use this opportunity that Suleja stadium need to be giving attention and now that I am looking for a partner to upgrade the stadium.
Q; Suleja is closer to the FCT, what do you have on FCT relationship?
Hon. Kassim; You see the thing is that the proximity of FCT and Suleja , suppose to be a good one but unfortunately its not, in fact it is even a cause because we are carrying more burden on our neck as you are a where we are not an official satellite yet we are serving as satellite to the FCT what I mean by this is that even some of those working in Gwagwalada, Kwali, Kuje and Bwari are residing in Suleja they stay here but unfortunately the majority of the new comer and even most of them by majority and with all this burden their children’s goes to our schools even their wives goes to our hospital and yet all this burden bare nothing even to pay tax people should pay tax so that it will be use to cater for their needs leaving in the area but yet but they pay their tax in fct that is very unfortunate and similarly since the inception the was an agreement by the founding fathers and before Suleja Abuja became 80% of what constituted forty years now there never been anything done to Suleja and as you know in 1971 before it was established all this Abuja have celebrated forty years and in 1976 to 80s when the federal capital project started then Abuja was still in Suleja so even Abuja master plans was drawn in Suleja but year after when they completed what they have for this sacrifice it required succor for the people of Suleja the initiators of the fct that was the white men that draft Abuja proposed that they should be join bolder committee and that would have settle most of this problem we are talking about but it has not gain forty years after the creation of Abuja so Suleja have never ever benefited anything from it proximity to Abuja and the sacrifice it made.
Q; Some people were talking about the pot-holes project along Minna Kwamba road,what magic do you have for that project?
Hon. Kassim; no magic I just thought that another raining has come and I am also motorist I quite understand each rain fall and driving your car will not know how deep that very particular pot holes is you may mistakenly go in and fall in and cause damage to your vehicle and I am also responsible that good thing should be done on to enjoy their local government and I saw it and think and I saw that I don’t have the availability fund to d that, so I went into my IGR and also decided to equally discipline myself including the revenue accruable to come down to the local government until I was able get the fund before I take out the particular project and that project cost me four million and two hundred thousand and I know what it means to me is so dear to me, I become resolute and that project is 80% completion now, and again the government is not owing the contractor a kobo I have been paying day by day and pay it all it is left for them to finish their work and go actually is not magic but interest that is the way I see it.
Q; this is a raining season, what do you have for the farmers?
Hon. Kassim; You when you talk of farming in Suleja local government is another thing that is what I see together because initially before the advent of this fct Suleja local government people are known to be farmers , agrarians people is known all over that we are farmers but however 80% of our land max have been taking away by the fct if though you have a passion farm no land for farming so Suleja local government we can’t call ourselves anymore because we don’t have the land to farm however even though we have little available land resources we will still encourage them through input like fertilizers that is why last week we told Mr. governor to expedite action to ensure fertilizers get to the farmers on times since the raining season has already commence so Agriculture in Suleja all we do now is to encourage not the physical agriculture but area like agriculture we have already embrace the vegetable for life for our doctrine and we were all over the place looking for a partners to assist us similarly we did not stop there we encourage our people to go into fish farming and poultry and they have been doing well in that aspect.
Q; Ex boy Nigeria military school zaria now chairman suleja local government council, what advice do you have to the [rtd] military officers?
Hon. Kassim; Military it my primary constituency I know most of them and I know some of my good friends that have lost their lives in the cost that they try to protect the integrity of Nigerians and those that were able to survive and get over just urge them to always remain civilians because it not easy for a long time and now you have become civilian after all many of us are doing well in human Endeavour but you can see now in the political arena blazing David Mark who held the senate president did his best and now we now have the humble governor of Niger state Abubakar Sani Bello is also been there he too should not shine away from his responsibility because leadership is in them train to be leader leaders in the military cycles can come out and do it evening political.
