Often, when Senator David Umaru is being discussed in our social media interactions, I’m either mentioned or referenced. The reason is their identification or recognition of my fierce support for his political presence and aspiration, especially in his bid for the Senate.
My relationship with him was founded in my praise of his antecedents as live-wire of the opposition in Niger state in the last dispensation before the opportunists hijacked it.
And even though we don’t stay in touch, I track his activities in the Senate. In fact, a few days ago – or is it weeks already? – I reached his constituency office to ask for their breakdown of his activities as he marked his first year in Office. It was impressive, especially his rural development initiatives and rights advocacy.
I wanted to share it with a friend who teased me, that the senator hasn’t been “talking” lately, and by this he means criticism of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello-led administration. What he missed is, both men belong to the same political parties and they have a uniting ground for their ambitions just as much as they have one for their conflicts.
But those who amuse me more are those who seek to blackmail the man for not antagonising the President of the Senate. One even wrote to compare the Niger East Senator to his elusive counterpart from Niger South senatorial district, and referred to them as “ghosts”. This, I think, is more of a mischief than ignorance. For it’s only a partisan mischief to consider the Chairman of an active Senate Committee known for televised legislative duties elusive, and strangely he’s the one mostly in the news from Niger state.
I refused to take active stance on the trial of the President of the Senate not because I subscribe to his portrayal of himself as persecuted rebel. I have been somewhat indifferent because the war is being fought as one between the Legislative branch and the Executive branch, instead of one between morality and sanity.
As a student of this evolving politics, I’m against interference with the internal affairs of the legislature and I oppose anyone who seeks to blackmail it into doing the bidding of the executive. A loyal National Assembly is dangerous as it suppresses a democratic principle, that of checks and balances.
So, we shouldn’t demonise our senators for not antagonising the President of the Senate, rather we should remind them why ousting a morally irresponsible leadership would redeem their perception by the public.
As a citizen, and one who has campaigned for the Senator, it’s my prayer that he excels in his representation of the people and some of them don’t even have the luxury of owning a smartphone let alone sign up to join us on social media.
The only way I’ll be forced to rebel against the senator is when he’s seen as truly elusive – a “ghost” as misrepresented by the partisan. But to the best of my knowledge, I don’t see him as a failure but in a prebendal system, there are those who see not only the heads of the executive, but also the lawmakers, as facilitators of “Infrastructure of the Stomach”.
So, in presenting the breakdown of the senator’s one-year in office to my friend, I asked for his critique:
First, I informed my friend that, serving as Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights & Legal Matters and a member of various other groups, the Senator sponsored amongst others, bill for an act to amend the Hydro Electricity Power Producing Area Development Commission; bill for an act to establish the Federal Capital Territory Borderline Community Development; bill for an act to amend the Federal Capital Act and for other related matters; and bill for an act to establish the National Research and Innovation Council and other related matters. I didn’t even bother to list the motions and petitions he introduced.
I alerted my friend’s attention to the senator’s constituency projects, especially those done in both the rural and urban parts of his district. Like the ICT Skills Development Programme, with a fully equipped centre in Minna, and beneficiaries accepted from villages across the senatorial district. The Centre engaged and trained the 325 candidates sponsored by the lawmaker to write the 2016 CBT JAMB examinations, and it’s also revealed that arrangements are ongoing to secure admissions into tertiary institutions for all the successful candidates and be placed on full scholarship.
In the areas of socials amenities, I highlighted the rural water projects done in collaboration with MDGs Special Project initiatives, resulting into installation of manual and solar-powered boreholes in 17 communities in his constituency.
I also listed the senator’s efforts in tackling the challenge of transportation, highlighting the rehabilitation of Kurmin Sarki-Jubilee-Bakassi Road, which had been abandoned for over 15 years. And, in the rural parts again, aside from locally made canoes donated to riverain communities, two engine-powered ferry boats were donated for two local government areas in the senatorial district.
There’s also one initiative I consider the most redeeming, this is in the area of women and youth empowerment, with 612 women associations and cooperative societies registered with the Senator David Umaru Centre for Development Initiative, out of which 412 women who are largely widows from all the 9 local government areas in the district are chosen and currently undergoing training scheme. And through his collaboration with Thinking School Africa (TSA), an international NGO with consultative status with UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), graduates drawn from 4 local government areas of his district were selected to participate in a 5-day boot camp in Abuja and now undergoing 6-month fellowship, being mentored to get them empowered for innovative entrepreneurial ventures.
We also addressed the lawyer’s role in his quest for justice for those whose rights were violated and victims of both social reforms and ecological hazards. The beneficiaries are 50 indigent motorcyclists whose vehicles were unlawfully confiscated and auctioned by the authority in Niger state and indigenous people displaced by the on-going construction of Zungeru Dam project.
There are also intervention projects, like his known partnership with Doctors-Without-Borders to provide free medical care for Lead poison victims in Rafi local government area of Niger state, for which he made a donation for treatment of some victims. And also provision of relief materials and cash donations to support victims of disasters like, tropical rainstorm, fire, boat mishap, and flood victims in Shiroro, Kagara, Rafi, Dangunu, Guni, Munya and Chanchaga local government areas of Niger state.
These events were reported in the news, I pointed out to my friend. Its one reason to recognise efforts where and when they are noticed, it’s another to employ partisan or personal sentiments to deny or ignore their existence.
