As the countdown to the 2015 general elections gathers momentum, those with eyes for diverse elective positions are all over the place, busy evolving diverse strategies with a view to emerging victorious at their parties’ primaries. The calculus keeps swinging as gladiators and strategists are latching on to all available straws in their bid to outwit perceived opponents.
It will simply amount to stating the obvious to declare that the 2015 elections would be keenly contested in all ramifications across the nation, Bauchi State inclusive. But in the midst of this entire hullabaloo, there are people currently serving the nation in various capacities, whose antecedents and performance in office speak eloquently about their capability to deliver if given a higher responsibility. One of such persons is the incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, who has acquitted himself creditably as a performer of repute.
As the people of Bauchi State wait expectantly for a worthy successor to their governor, Isa Yuguda, who is expected to quit the stage after completing his second and last term in office in 2015, there are irrepressible yearnings for Bala to step forward to declare his ambition for the coveted position considering his intimidating wealth of experience anchored on admirable husbandry of financial and human resources thus far in the FCT.
In this titanic race for the plum job with several pretenders masquerading as contenders, the FCT Minister stands poles above the lot like a colossus for a number of reasons, most especially in terms of unassailable resume. Talking about experience, it would be recalled that as a legislator and Chairman of National Interest Group in the Senate, Bala and other patriotic members of the group saved the nation from a grueling constitutional crisis when the then President UmaruYar’adua was incapacitated on account of a protracted ailment in Saudi Arabia. By galvanizing fellow lawmakers to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity, the group paved the way for then Vice President Jonathan to assume office as Acting President. That singular stroke of statesmanship saved Nigeria from drifting into a monumental political and constitutional crisis capable of truncating its nascent democracy.
Even in his present national assignment as FCT Minister, his achievements are awe-inspiring. Some of these achievements include: breaking of the vicious cartel of land racketeering; removal of illegal structures and frontal attack on prostitution; concession of Eagle Square and International Conference Centre; construction of flyovers; expansion of the Airport Road, Zuba/Kubwa/Tipper Garage from two to 10 lanes.
Others are provision of sewages and infrastructural facilities like the gigantic multi-billion naira Katampe Infrastructure Concession; introduction of a comprehensive transportation policy premised on multi-modal land transportation approach and the banning of ‘Araba’ from within the city centre; addressing of environmental challenges through prompt disposal and clearance of beggars from the streets; extension of mass housing estates to the area councils.
That is not all. In the area of security, Bala created a synergy between the FCTA and the various security agencies to tackle the capital city’s security challenges; working assiduously towards enforcing Abuja’s Master Plan; raising the internally generated revenue profile of the FCT; attracted foreign and local investments to FCT to the tune of over $10 billion in less than four years. A few examples can suffice here: World Trade Centre ($1.2billion), Abuja Town Centre ($2.7billion), Land Swap investments ($3.8billion), social housing, institutional investments and others ($3billion).
And above all, the minister’s most audacious achievement to date is the introduction of land swap policy premised on ceding of lands to private investors in lieu of infrastructure. It is this kind of jaw-dropping achievements that Bala is expected to replicate in Bauchi State if he eventually hearkens to the call of his people and is given the mandate to administer the affairs of the state from 2015.
But from all intents and purposes, there is no doubt that the ultimate desire of Nigerians is for Nigeria to get to the height America has attained democratically. But in our blind desperation, we often forget that the spirit of USA’s democracy is hinged on values; these values drive the system and Americans appreciate the quality of human capital and strategically exploit it to optimal level, in contradistinction with the prevailing scenario in Nigeria.
Since the advent of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, there are politicians who have learnt and gained invaluable knowledge about the running of democracy. Bala Mohammed happens to be one of such politicians whose wealth of experience and understanding of democratic values and dynamics should not be allowed to waste. It is for this reason that the people of Bauchi State are beckoning on him to throw his hat into the ring for the 2015 gubernatorial contest. But even as the good people of his state are urging him to run, some lily-hearted opponents and their hirelings are desperately hauling all kinds of missiles on the amiable minister’s pathway in their selfish bid to stop him at all cost. They are doing this through negative media propaganda and blackmail.
Pundits are of the opinion that it will amount to a great disservice if the people of the state fail to tap from the knowledge and experience that this humble but strong-willed leader has garnered over the years. The state must not be allowed to start afresh by being saddled with any inexperienced upstart in 2015. No nation or state makes their development a case for trial and error by neophytes. The state cannot afford to start another learning process! It will amount to a great backward mistake.
Considering his close relationship with President Goodluck Jonathan, if Bala eventually yields to the cacophonous calls of his people by joining the race for Bauchi Government House in 2015, surely he will be the candidate to beat.
Ochela wrote from Abuja. Email:[email protected]
