Nasarawa state must break walls of ethnicity, religion – Kigbu

Barrister Dauda Shuaibu Kigbu is a retired Federal Permanent Secretary, an All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant in Nasarawa state.
He speaks with MOSES JOHN on why he is on the race amongst other issues
The man Dauda Shuaibu Kigbu My name is Dauda Shuaibu Kigbu, I was born in Barkin Abdullahi in Lafia local government area of Nasarawa state.
I went to primary school in Adogi primary school from 1964-70, to 1971-75.
I was in Government College now Government Science School Lafia, 1975-79 I was in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where I graduated with LLB honours degree in law and was called to Bar in 1980.I did my National Youth Service in Kaduna, after which I joined the then Government of Plateau state as a Magistrate.
I also left to join the federal establishment first with Rolling Mills, later I went to National Institute for Policy and Strategies Studies, Kuru, Jos, Plateau state.
After I joined the then Lion Bank Nigeria Plc as its founding secretary and legal adviser.
I was there for 20 years where I rose to the position of general manager corporate services.
From there I moved to the Federal government in 2006 as a director first in the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, then in February, 2010 I became Federal Permanent Secretary.
I served in the Bureau of Public Service establishment, later I went to Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, and also Federal Ministry of Mines and steel development.
In November 2014 I was moved to Federal Ministry of Works and I retired November, 2015.
I am a member of National Institute for Policy and Strategies Studies after attending the senior executives course 18, in 1996.
I also hold a masters degree in law, I am now vying for a gubernatorial seat on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) Your contributions towards the creation of Nasarawa state I am a founding member of movement for creation of Nasarawa State.
Incidentally, I was the founding Secretary of Movement for the creation of Nasarawa State.
The people of today called Nasarawa State came together to demand the creation of a state of their own from the old Plateau.
These made up of very eminent persons and I happen to be Secretary General of that movement.
We were successful, we got the state on the 1st October, 1996, we left Plateau State and settled in Lafia as quickly as possible, things took off very well and happily.
We were our brothers keepers, relating very well with one another, but along the line, we were faced with mutual suspicion, acrimony, misunderstanding, lack of foresight and all of these social vices came to play and that lead to series of crises in the state.
One of which was the Ombatse crises.
Unfortunately, it was a crisis that took a very severe dimension, it was more or less like Nasarawa South Senatorial district was in a state of war.
It was an unfortunate crisis and regrettable too.
We also assured that this will never happen again.
For me, it was a very difficult situation for the state, the peace and unity which would have come to Nasarawa South was shattered as a result of series of crises that we had and Government, traditional rulers, eminent sons and daughters as well as a sundry worked to ensure that the crisis is put behind us, though some level of peace has been achieved but we are not there yet.
Vision and mission for the state So my vision is to be able to bring lasting peace and unity in the state, that is my central goal and to restore confidence.
To also ensure that unity and peace we left Plateau State with is totally and comprehensive restore.
One of the ways we must do it in my mission is that we must break down those walls that was build along tribal, ethnic and Religion lines.
Ethnicity and Religion are good, they are mark of identity but we must only use it positively and not negatively.
So for me, Ethnicity, like I said, is for people to understand one another and not for division and when wrongly applied could lead to violence.
So we must demolish those walls that have been built along our fault lines and replace them with walls of unity, peace, understanding, justice, equity and fairness.
Once we are able to do this, we will achieve peace and with peace we are sure of unity and with unity and peace every aspect of development will take place.
For me, when we come on board, we will elevate ability and character as main consideration for appointment, we will be blind to to religion and ethnicity, we will run an inclusive government and all shades of opinions would be accommodated.
We must build a society of equity, a society where every ethnic group, be it small or big, rich or poor, weak or strong must coexist together in peace and harmony with equal opportunity before government and God.
Votes buying Nobody will support the act of votes buying, unless you are mischievous or you are in the race for business or for ego trip which I am not.
I am in the race for service, for service and for service.
I said this three times and I will tell you why votes buying is wrong and am sure that the votes of the people of Nasarawa state are not for sale.
The God for whom I’m asking for this favour from doesn’t need my money and I don’t even have money to buy God’s people and nobody has has.
Therefore, I urge Nasarawa state to guard their power of voting jealously.
It shouldn’t be for sale, don’t allow anyone to tempt you with any money because that is your power and anyone that buys it buys your conscience and you have no right to complain if things go wrong and therefore you must use it wisely.
I condemned anyone who buy people’s votes because it is unethical and anti democratic as well as anti God.
Like I told you earlier, I am in this race for service, I am not on ego trip nor for business.
My inspiration for this aspiration is drawn from the Biblical Joseph.
You will recall that the king had a dream, in the dream he saw seven fat cows are being eating up by seven lean cows.
He was so disturbed by this dream that he needed interpretation from members of his cult, however non was able to interpret it satisfactory to the king.
Then someone whispered to the king about a prisoner Joseph, that he can interpret the dream and immediately the king ordered that Joseph be produced before him and they went and brought Joseph before the king.
After the king explained the dream to Joseph, he told the king that the seven fat cows represented seven years of abundant rainfall, bumper harvest, plenty of food supply while the seven lean cows represent seven years of famine, severe drought, and hunger.
He however advised the king to ensure the harvest from the first seven years are properly stored, managed, and administered.
That the same food from the first seven years would be require for seven years of difficulty.
He further advised the king to ensure that the person who will be in charge of food is someone who fear God, someone with integrity and must be someone that is sincere.
And immediately the king started searching for who will do the job and Joseph who is a prisoner didn’t envisage himself given the job to do.
But Joseph later offered himself to do the job, Joseph also told the king that he feared God, had integrity, sincere and committed.
That Biblical account made us understand that Joseph was successful.
So I am telling Nasarawa people that I can do the job.
I am not waiting for anybody to call me; I have the fear of God, have integrity and I am committed.
I have the experience, and intellectual exposure.
I have all it takes to run a very purposeful and transparent as well as inclusive government in Nasarawa state.
The new things I will bring on board Let me say that governance is work in progress.
You don’t have an end to when government can cease.
Governance simply means administering the affairs of the people.
When Nasarawa was created, all the past leaders did their best from laying of the foundation to where we are today.
I have cause to mention Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu that probably his greatest legacy for me is that of peace and unity without which nothing else could happen.
The fact that you also notice the development today is also because someone has laid the foundation for that, so governance is work in progress where everyone come and make his contributions, and no government can deliberately set out to deviate from probity, transparency and accountability except if you vote the wrong person.
So from what has happened over the years, you will notice from the foundation of peace and unity as well as contribution of other governments, brought us to where we are today.
However, a benchmark has been raised in the state to the extent that what we need in the state is someone with a level of expertise, commitment, capacity, ability, integrity and above all, someone that fear God.
So for me, no one have deviated, society is full of challenges and that is why one government come and leave lots of problems and no government can solve all the problems and that also tells how government is continuity.
This is because you can come make your contributions and leave while another one will come but must also take his exit.
Even Shakespeare says “every actor and players have there own entrance and exit”.
Percentage payment of salaries Incidentally, I was involved with some conversation and some of the negotiations during the difficult days of the minimum wage implementation in Nasarawa state and what I have discovered is that the implementation was shrouded in misunderstanding and misconception which in turn imposed some difficulties and burden In the way of the implementation down the road.
This is because the demand for absolute figures became so high in the face of fallen oil price and dwindled federal allocation as well as reduced Internationally Generated Revenue (IGR).
So obviously, there was difficulties, therefore the government in its wisdom devised a means not only been able to pay 100% but able to meet in some point with the workers so they don’t go home empty handed.
Like I said earlier, no government can solve all the problems.
Though I trust the ability of this government to solving the problems before it exist but in case they don’t, the civil servants can count on my ability to deal with it.
If you look at my antecedents, I retired as a federal Permanent Secretary which means am one of them.
I was a civil servant; I know the place of civil service and how important civil service is as the engine room of of government.
I know it’s only workers that can implement government policies and programs, so once you get it right with civil servants, then you will get the state right.
As a pensioner, I know the problem of salary administration and pensions.
So my appeal is for them to trust on my ability to resolve this issue.
Every problem can be resolve through constructive dialogue, give and take and understanding.
APC performance in the state It is obvious that APC has done well in the state.
Without prejudice to other people in other party, APC has done a lot of work.
Defections The R-APC was deliberately put together to give a basis for division to justify subsequent defection.
These defections are nothing but alignments and realignments in the political space.
People that think they don’t have space within the APC to achieve their personal ambition, will naturally want to find it elsewhere and if you noticed, the trend, you will discover that majority of the defectors are from the North because Buhari is a Northerner and because he has four years to go but they don’t feel they can work with him.
By calculation, I don’t think the Nigeria people will want to support any northern president who may want to manipulate the system along the line to stay there for another eight years.
What they wish is to have Buhari complete term peacefully, leave the stage so that another president will come in.
So for me, I don’t think they calculated well and the defections seemed to be one direction which is PDP, however it’s only one of them that will get the ticket.
So I can tell you that there will be an explosion in PDP after which APC will be more stable, focused to drive the process of change.
God father Like I told you earlier, my inspiration to run is from the biblical Joseph, he is my godfather because I have seen the examples of integrity, fear of God, capacity, and competence in Joseph.
Like Joseph said, I will do this job and will do it competently and I repeat to Nasarawa people that I will do this job very well.
This is because if you check my background, I have all it takes to do this job and by the way if you notice, I move from private sector to the public sector and I have a diversified background that nobody in this race has my kind of pedigree and I dare to say in the whole country, there must be very few of us with this kind of background.
I am not anybody’s man, but my own man in this race.
I respect Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu and if he speaks to me, I will tell you.
I also respect every past government in Nasarawa state, I have enjoyed their collective and individual mentorship but no one has called me or invited me to be in this race.
It is my personal decision, I take responsibility for that and like I said earlier, I was the founding Secretary General of Movement for the Creation of Nasarawa State.
I still know the vision of the founding fathers which I totally share, and I still have contribution to make and because I have capacity to make such contribution that I am offering myself.