Alhaji Sanusi Abubakar is one of the aspirants jostling for the ticket of All Progressive Congress (APC) ahead of the November 21 governorship election in Kogi State. In this interview, he spoke on his plan for the state if elected, agitations for power shift and other sundry issues. Excepts:
Sir, what motivated you to go into the Kogi governorship race?
I have involved myself in so many community development projects over the past 18 years and I tried to refrain myself from partisan politics. But, today, by the Grace of Almighty Allah, my people have forced me to get into active politics.
There are many people seeking for APC governorship ticket, how do you intend to breakthrough?
First and foremost, the most important thing is that it is only God that knows who will win because the person you possibly under-estimated may become the giant. What I think we need to do at this point in time is consultation for us to choose among the best to serve our people. As you are aware, our state is in dire need of an experienced leader that would ship the affairs of the state to the Promised Land. Presently, we are among the worst under-developed in both human and infrastructure in the whole country. This issue of marginalization and ethnic disconnection by the successive government is another issue to be addressed so that all Kogites would be carried along in the affairs of the state. As a result of this unhealthy situation, I think the first thing is to try and connect with the Okun brothers that are equally marginalized and of course the minority from the eastern part that are also victims in order to put visionary leader that would eventually bridge the gap. By the time we put our heads together and pick the right person during the primaries, am sure we should be able to come out victorious at the governorship poll.
From what you said, it shows that you are an advocate of power shift. Are you coming on board mainly to fulfill this struggle or to provide good governance?
Good governance indeed! Good governance is my point of call. You see, I always tell people that poverty does not know east, west nor central. A poor man from the east is as good as the poor man from the west or central part of the state. What we need is how we can turnaround the economy of the state. For example, we cannot continue to be dependent on monthly allocation from the federal government because it will not solve our problem. If given the mandate, my government will by the grace of God place emphasis on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) so that civil servants who are the engine room of any successful government will not be starved and deprived of their dues. We would also address the issue of untapped mineral resources in the state that would improve our economy. We have potentials for agriculture in the eastern part of the state. We have large mineral deposit between the central and the western part of the state. All these resources have been abandoned by successive administrations.
If you claim you will change the fortune of the state in two years, have you assess the need of people in the 21 local government areas of the state?
Yes, as you know, gold fish has no hiding place because I have a pedigree that people are very much aware. A lot of people know my antecedents, what I used to do, what I am capable of doing. Immediately I come on board, I would hit the ground running, I have my network and I am working behind the scene so that we can emerge victorious by the grace of God.
What in precise term, if given the mandate, would you do differently from what successive governments did?
If given the opportunity, I will make sure I introduce major mechanized farming using surface irrigation to make sure we can produce throughout the year. Our farmers would then have course to smile because their lives will change. I will equally make sure that they don’t just produce because it is the responsibility of the government to provide silos to preserve their produce. We have to encourage export as well in order to improve the farmer’s economic potentials. Government must intervene in packaging because the major problem in Africa is that all the products we produce here ends here. We have coal which we can use to generate power and with this, we can create our own energy within the state. From there, we can turnaround the dormant Ajaokuta Steel Company that was abandoned over the years.
Youth unemployment in the state is alarming. What measure will you put in place to reduce the menace?
For your information, I did not intend to pick nomination form at the first instance but some youth forums and civil society organisations mobilized and levied themselves to the tune of N5million and picked the form when I was away in Saudi Arabia. This is because of the leadership potentials they must have seen in me. I initially declined their proposal but pressure made me to listen and accept to seek the mandate of the people. I think I am the only aspirants that have enjoyed this support from the youth. The only way you can improve standard of living is to create wealth and the only way you can create wealth is to make sure that people are gainfully employed. By the grace of God, I would take 70% of the youths out of the labour market.
