How AMG floored his political opponents

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By

Abba Dukawa

In Nigeria’s 2015 election, no one noticed the emergence of a political master of the game who would one day set records and in the process smelt his name in the annals of Kano South political terrain, state and nation political documentation. Having spent almost four years in the house, the Honourable AM Gaya won another term during the last presidential and national assembly elections. The Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya shows evidence of a well-groomed politician with unprecedented recorded achievements in the discharge of his duties as a true representative of his people and role model. He is truly a representative of the people going by the amount of work he was able to do for the overall benefit of his constituents.

In fact, it is worth elucidating that he was able to touch the lives of the people of the whole of Kano in his four years of legislative stewardship. So far he has proved to be one of the few federal lawmakers of whom people have felt the impact of his representation. No matter what anyone would say, the amount of dividends of democracy that this lawmaker was able to bring to the doorstep of the people he is representing is unmatched.

Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya is truly a representative of the people going by the amount of work he was able to do for the overall benefit of his constituents. In fact, it worth elucidating that he was able to touch the lives of the people of whole Kano in his 4years of legislative stewardship. So far he has proved to be one of the few federal lawmakers those peoples of his constituency has felt the impact of their representation in the House of Representative. No matter what his political opponents would say, the amount of dividends of democracy that this he was able to bring to the door step of the people he is representing is unmatched.

A true patriotic who is concerned for his people is remarkable enough. He made it a duty to spare time for them and hear grievances both personal and collective, unlike the politicians of today who mastered the act of deception and failed promises. As we all witnessed, many politicians have turned the role into a money making adventure where it serves as an avenue of making one’s name and fortune at the detriment of the electorate. They normally wear the color of a saint and Messiah when seeking people’s mandate and immediately rush back to their selfish design and ambition the moment they secure the mandate they craved. That’s what always made people apprehensive when politicians came calling at any election period.

When he first joined the Nation Assembly as a first termer he was determined to distinguish himself and be different from self-seeking politicians. As a newly elected from Gaya/Ajingi/Albasu Federal Constituency, Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya called on the incoming administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to slash up to 50 per cent of the expenses of the Presidency and National Assembly, all with the intention of having enough resources to cater for the nation’s capital expenditure, also urging all his colleagues and the incoming President to come to terms with his opinion.

When the House of Representatives stepped up the Tactical Committee on Economic Recession towards helping combat the challenges faced by the economy, he was among the 16-man aforementioned Committee. The ad-hoc committee “…has the mandate to interface with Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments as well as interact with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Civil Society Organizations and any other body that is considered relevant in the bid to arrest the recession and return the economy to the path of growth and stability.” According to the Speaker, the committee will also help “…in crafting enduring legislative tools to be deployed in helping policy makers and implementors adhere to timelines in their drive to exit recession and return Nigeria to sustainable economic growth and prosperity,” speaker Dogara said.

He also acts as Chairman of the ad-hoc committee investigating debts owed to the Petroleum Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) by oil marketers of the House of Representatives. The Committee’s mandate is to recover the debts owed by the oil marketers to the PPMC, the chairman querying what efforts the marketers over N300 billion are making to pay the outstanding debt. AMG’s ad-hoc committee is able to recover hundreds of billions to government coffers.

Hon AM Gaya displayed to people what it really means to be Honourable. Keeping to his words on every promise he uttered and ensured that their needs and satisfaction is his primary priority. Loved by young, adults and elders he is respected and treated with preference by people as a true son of the soil. It is not out of nothing he is daily bombarded with the slogan of Ayitayi in Hausa dialect which literally means “Keep doing”. Just continue.

The general populaces in his constituency are gratefully satisfied with his actions and do not need to bring a replacement that may turn back the hand of the clock. To challenge Hon AM Gaya in his constituency is a sheer waste of time, resources and energy. He is an emerging politician capturing Kano South and beyond as a result of his political bond with his people, which has not gone unnoticed. A true party man, every aspiring politician seeking votes from Ajingi, Gaya and Albasu Local governments areas, has to get the support of this political guru of the three communities.

Electorates in Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu constituency knew that those before him in the House of Representatives from 1999-2015 had deserted the electorate, the constituency being one of the most neglected in the country. He has justified the confidence reposes in him with his voice always seeking the improvement of lives of his constituents, Kano and Nigeria in general through legislative interventions. By all accounts, the people of Albasu, Gaya and Ajingi constituency are in the best position to evaluate his performance in the last three and a half years as a member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives.

The highlights of his achievements include constructing and rehabilitating schools and re-positioning the educational sector in a more definitive, radically, progressive and revolutionary manner, motorizing boreholes constructed and motorizing streetlights provided. Sometime last year, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) trained my constituency women and youths whereas the programme was aimed at reducing the level of unemployment in society.

In the area of gainful employment, Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya has done a lot in securing jobs to deserving youths in the paramilitaries, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, FIRS, CBN, KEDCO, State and federal governments’ MDAs. Just recently through, the AMG WEEP Women Economic Empowerment Programme empowered one thousand five hundred who will be presented with working capital of N10, 000 each while 500 women’s beneficiaries were drawn each from the three local government areas of his constituency. Not to mention the expansive provision of basic welfare amenities for his constituent people in water, healthcare, power and the greatly improved living standards for his people in terms of capacity building, empowerment and educational scholarship for his people, all shone brightly for both his admirers and detractors to access him.

Despite all the odd against his re-election bid for the second term in the House of Representatives by certain APC members in sheep with wolf skin in Gaya local government area, it was with the support of real APC members in his constituency that he emerged victorious whereas his triumph has put his political opponents in shame. During the election Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya polled 16,277 votes in Gaya local government area, Hon. Usman Adamu of PDP had 15,611 in Ajingi Gaya local government has 15,784 while PDP has 10,526 in Albasu local government area, Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya polled 26,411 votes while Usman Adamu of PDP lag behind with 10,285 votes.

In total the re-electing member of Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu constituency in the House of Representatives gained the highest number of votes, 58,468, to defeat his closest rival, Hon. Usman Adamu of PDP, who polled 36,422. Since the result was officially announced those APC members in sheep with wolf skin in the Gaya local government area covered their face in shame. Even though they bragged before the election, after the result was announced they cried.

It is a well known fact that there is nothing stronger than the people’s verdict. It shows a collective desire which inevitably is the voice of reason. His re-election for a second term as the member representing Ajingi, Gaya and Albasu constituency in the House of Representatives is a clear affirmation of his constituent people and also a reward of his supporting and caring nature to the people he vowed to protect and represent in a dignifying manner.

Abba Dukawa

A Kano based media practitioner and public commentator for 13 years with many articles published by a number of online mediums and print media.