Interview

‘Gov Abdulrazaq reserved right to free or refer suspended council bosses to EFCC’

 

Hon Nda Musa Mohammed Guyegi representing Edu constituency is the chairman House Committee on Establishment and Public Service as well as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Kwara State House of Assembly. In this interview with HEAD POLITICS, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, Guyegi who is also a member of Finance and Appropriation and Ethic and Privileges committees throw more light on the suspension of the local government chairmen, the alleged disadvantage of Kwara North on issue of appointments in the state and the intrigues of the speakership tussle that was zoned to the region by the All Progressives Congress (APC) among other issues in the polity. Excerpts:

What was your antecedent before coming to the House?
I was a formal elected Local Government chairman in 1996 under the zero party and in 2007 contested for Senate under the Action Congress of Nigeria but lost at the general election after winning the primaries. I have been in politics for a long time though in 2015, I contested for the seat of the State House of Assembly but lost. I didn’t relent because of the determination to serve my people who normally invited me to come to contest during elections until 2019 when there was a diverse of interest. I must be honest that I have not been with the Saraki dynasty all along. But by God’s grace and the support of my people, I was elected in 2019 to represent my people of Edu constituency in the House of Assembly which comprised Lafiagi, Tsaragi, and Shonga districts respectively under the All Progressives Congress.
Kwara North has rich and extensive farmland which is yet to be properly cultivated and utilised, how do you think you can contribute positively to the progress of the region in this instance this time around?
The challenges we have in Kwara North has to do with the issue of logistics such as lack of good road networks across the five Local Governments of Edu, Baruten, Patigi, Kaiama and Moro. This has affected the exportation and transportation of the farm produce to the desired market points within and outside the state for people to have access to it which will reduce the cost of production.
What are your plans to improve on the narrative in Kwara North this time around?         
Like we know, as legislators, we are only lawmakers saddled with the responsibility to make laws and policies. It is now left for the executive to implement our recommendations and resolution. Ours is like an advisory body to the executive for us to achieve our aims as legislators working together with and executives to achieve results for the state.
How would you describe your election into the House of Assembly?
I was confident of victory, of course with the support of Almighty Allah because the people of Kwara North desired a change during the 2019 polls across boards and it happened this time around.
Now that you are in, what are you bringing on the table, especially coming as a business man and farmer?
With my experience in the line of business, I have always advised my colleagues on memos submitted and this has gone a long way to better most of our decisions. In the aspect of farming, we have quality inputs in assignments that we have undertaken since we came on board. The other day when we over-sighted Shonga and the Malete farms, it was clear that we need more inputs in terms of machinery and implements like tractors among others. It is unpardonable that as a state, we don’t have up to five agricultural tractors despite the vast amount of fertile land we have in Kwara State. It is a pity to our state government and we are advising the government on the need to procure more agricultural implements and chemicals like fertilisers to support our agricultural scheme which will diversify our economy and serve as stable source of revenue inflow for the state.
You were one of those that signified interest in the speakership race then when the party zoned it to Kwara North. Why did you back out?
After our victory at the poll, I was the first person to stand up to contest for the position of the speakership of this 9th Assembly. But along the line, when the Governor emerged from Kwara Central due to the political scenario, we had to reappraise the situation as a party. The Kwara Central always believed that they have 65per cent of voting strength in Kwara State and they have been inundating us with that. But in this election, we worked hard seriously to encourage our people to go and vote so that they will know that that narrative is not so. After the Governor and the Deputy picked the Central and Kwara South slots, the Speakership automatically was zoned to the North. I indicated interest and began consultations, met with the party elders and the who is who in politics and our elders. I have assurance that I would emerge the Speaker but as God would have it, the person that was finally chosen is also from my camp and a brother and we believed that so far it was zoned to Kwara North which is still my constituency, I am satisfied.
How were you able to manage the internal bickering that came with the issue?
Well, there was no such problem in this instance because in the present APC, we believe we are one family and anybody that emerge at the end of the day is trusted and fully supported to make sure he succeed.
The entire 9th Assembly is populated by newcomers in the art of legislation except one ranking lawmaker, what do you say to critics that your actions so far appear amateurish?
Although many people believe we are all new, but I will say glory be to God that even without being in the Assembly before, we came in with diverse experiences from our various fields of endeavours. And of course, we are not babies who came to represent various constituencies just for the fun of it; we are aware of what it going on in the polity, we read newspapers and watch television and follow trend of event, we are determined to make the difference and implement sound legislation that will have corresponding positive impact on the lives and living standard of our people. I believe God is with us on this project. In this present legislature, we are not being influenced by any external body within or outside. Our workings are tailored in line with the change mantra we started with and we are still maintaining it. We promised the people before the election that we will give them the dividends of democracy and that has not changed. So there is no external body that can influence our decision against the executive, judiciary or anybody for that matter. We are just doing our job and determined to make the difference.
As a member of the House Committee on Ethics and Judiciary, one of the joint committees that is saddled with the responsibility of investigating the suspended chairmen, where are we on the issue now?
We are very much on track. Don’t forget that it was a very powerful petition we got against them that necessitated our action in the first place and we swung into action to investigate the matter. We have invited all the affected council chairmen, the Director of Personnel Management (DPMs), treasurers and speakers of the various Local Government legislative councils. We have concluded our investigations and for the fact that the two chairmen of the joint committee are legal officers, I think we are on the right track. They have been on an assignment and by next week, we should have the details of their report hopefully.
What would you say to the insinuation that some of them might be given soft landing at the end of the day because of their plea for political solution?
There is no soft or hard landing for the affected chairmen on this issue from the two committees. Based on our investigation which has been concluded, we will pass our resolution which will be communicated to the executive and ours is not to implement, the Governor alone has the power to take action, it is now left for him to take final decision. He has the right to either free all of them or refer them to the EFCC or any other (anti-graft) body (for prosecution depending on the report). During the investigation, we were not under any pressure because we are all Kwarans.
What are your priorities as a legislator?
Kwara North lacks development and on the issue of manpower, we don’t have people in the government. Looking at the appointments in the state, I believe about 90 percent goes to Kwara South and Kwara Central and the remaining 10 percent to Kwara North which is not supposed to be. Presently, with the Governor we have today who has shown honesty devoid of any sentiment, we believe that he will do the balancing in terms of our employment disadvantages and we are praying to Almighty Allah to help him achieve this?
Some of your supporters believe you should have contested for higher office, why did you go for state House of Assembly?
In Kwara North, we have an existing zoning formula because of the strong belief we have to always carry everybody along. I am from Edu Local Government today, same as the last Senator from Kwara North and former Governor Alhaji Sha’aba Lafiagi. So it will not speak well for me to contest for the House of Reps ticket again after the senator’s tenure. We have to relinquish the National Assembly ticket to another brother from Shonga district at the national level. At the state which has to do with the House of Assembly, Local Government chairman and commissionership positions open for contest. I am from Lafiagi district and the last occupier during the 8th Assembly under the PDP was also from the same district. During the 6th and 7th House, it was Shonga districts that produced the lawmakers and they served two terms of 8 years altogether. Coming back to Lafiagi district now, my predecessor has done four years, automatically, I have the balance of four years to complete that.
Are you ruling out a second term ticket?
It depends on the decision of my people. If they decide I should go, then I have no choice than to oblige them. But on the contrary if they disapprove of it, then I don’t have such opportunity because we normally respect our zoning arrangement. After my tenure, the ticket for the House of Assembly supposed to go to Tsaragi district.
How would you describe your relationship with members of the opposition now in your district?
Very cordial, remember I said we are minority in the state and there is the need to collaborate and share experiences to move the district forward and we believe we are brothers.
Does that include consultations on inputs and guidance from your predecessor on issue of governance?
I can’t do that because our manifesto in the APC is quite different from that of the PDP. But when it has to do with social functions or relating with one another in our village or community, I attend such invitations and vice-versa. There is no discrimination at all. My message is for the people to be patients with us and the government and very soon, insha Allah, everything will work out as planned and we all are going to benefit from the dividends of democracy promised by our great party, the APC. Kwarans should give us little time for the Governor to take us to the next level and we promised to assist him on that.

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