He may have passed through troubled waters before his inauguration in May 2019 but his large heart have endeared him to his constituents within the short period he entered the red chambers in the National Assembly. MUAZU ABARI writes on the man, Senator Elisha Abbo popularly called Cliff.
Long before his election into the National Assembly in 2019 as the youngest senator in Nigeria today, Sen Elisha Ishiaku Abbo had been a revolutionary fighter known for championing the cause of the common man by rendering philanthropic services.
His kind heartedness, among other qualities, endeared him to the hearts of his people who see him as a focused, determined, energetic and talented young man with good character and noble ideas to champion their cause in the National Assembly.
This informed their decision to drag him into the 2019 senatorial race of Adamawa North in which they stood by him through thick and thin, leading to his victory against an older Senator Binta Masi Garba of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Within the three months of his inauguration as a senator, he has left no one in doubt that his mission in the red chamber is to rekindle the hopes of his people through effective representation, giving them a voice, addressing their needs and continue with his humanitarian gesture which he has been noted for long before his election into the Senate.
Apart from the intellectual capacity he has demonstrated through frequent and brilliant contributions to national debates on the floor of the Senate, he has also been alive in drawing government’s attention to the plight of his people devastated by insurgency. In addition to that, Senator Abbo also lobbied critical stakeholders, donor agencies and concerned government institutions to come to the rescue of his senatorial district in order to provide succor for the areas devastated by the menace.
At a time when most of his colleagues in the National Assembly especially first timer are preoccupied with how to recover the money they expanded during the electioneering campaign with some avoiding their constituencies in order to avoid any form of demand from their constituents, Sen Abbo decided to relocate to his constituency in order to attend to the needs of his people, interact closely with them and further acquaint himself with their challenges. This is to enable him proffer solutions to them both in his personal and official capacity.
Evacuated stranded students from Wukari
For instance, on relocating home for recess, Blueprint gathered that in furtherance of his humanitarian gesture, Sen Abbo received a disturbing news about the unfortunate situation of Adamawa state students studying in the Federal University Wukari who were stranded in the cross fire of the ongoing killings and security tension in Taraba state without any means of returning home. He quickly mobilised buses to evacuate all Adamawa stranded students studying in that university. He also contacted the state commissioner of police who provided security cover in the form of convoy for their safe return home.
Upon their arrival in Yola, he gave each of them transport fare to their various localities and urged them to have confidence in the ability of the country to overcome its current security challenges.
While counseling them, he urged them to support leaders at all levels and rededicate themselves to the service of God, pursue their education for better future, live in peace with one another and work for the unity and development of the country. He promised to support them at all times in their studies, stressing that education would be his top priority in the National Assembly.
Interaction with PLWDs
This was immediately followed with invitation he extended to people leaving with disabilities for a dinner and interactive session in order to discuss their plight with a view to finding a solution. In his opening remarks, Sen Abbo said,
“I called you today to interact with you as people of honour and dignity who have a stake and are major players in national development so that we can work together and chart a way forward for the disabled in Nigeria.
“Don’t also forget that I am one of you as I had a life-threatening accident years back resulting in multiples bone fractures. In fact, I was confined to a wheel chair; people helped me to move from my bed to the toilet and back. This was when I began to appreciate people who are physically challenged.
“So, I told myself that when I leave the wheel chair, I would further the cause of people who are living on wheel chairs.”
Pledged support for disabilities commission
He expressed concerned over the unfortunate situation persons with disabilities find them in Nigeria to the extent that even public buildings and institutions such as airports have no provisions for them. He promised to champion their cause and be their ambassador in the National Assembly through the establishment of disabilities commission.
“I go to the airports and I’m shocked to discover that there are no facilities to cater for persons with disabilities. I go to public buildings and institutions in Nigeria; I did not see facilities meant for people with disabilities. To my shock, I was made to understand that it was not even domesticated by many states including my own state of Adamawa, much more of implementation.
“But I want to assure you that no senator in the 9th assembly would say no to a commission for persons with disabilities because I have seen us there. We don’t consider party differences as long as national interest is concerned.
“I will take up the matter and call you again together with your national and state bodies, I would personally organise a national seminar with other donor agencies to that we can sit down with you and draw up a blueprint for the establishment of the commission in Nigeria, and then I would take it to the Senate. I am certain that I would not only be the one to move the motion but every senator in Nigeria would be a co-sponsor of that motion.”
It was naira rain
In his magnanimity, Sen Abbo further donated 500,000 to all the disabled persons who attended the meeting, in addition to 50,000 as transport fare after dinning with them. This is beside three separate cheques of undisclosed amount for three disabled persons to enable them to purchase wheel chairs in order to ease their movement.
He did not stop at that, but also donated 20% of all his earnings in the form of salaries, allowances, constituency projects and other entitlements to people leaving with disabilities with a promise to always come to their aid when called upon.
“In my own personal capacity I am giving out 20% of everything that comes to me as a senator such as salaries, allowances, constituency projects and other entitlements to people leaving with disabilities. Anywhere you want me to go or whatever you want me to do, call me even in the rain, I would be there for you.”
Words of appreciation
Most of those who spoke at the event commended the senator for his humanitarian gesture, identifying and treating them like human beings with equal rights, stressing that he has rekindled their lost hope in the country’s political equation.
They assured him of their unflinching supports while praying for God’s protection from his political enemies, wishing him good health, long life and prosperity.
On constituency projects
After these engagements, Sen Abbo in the company of the member representing Michika-Madagali Federal Constituency, Hon Zakaria Dauda Nyanpa, embarked on assessment tour of some project sites in the senatorial district.
The tour took them to the dilapidated Kudzum, Dilchi and Wuro Gandi bridges which link the two local governments with Mubi and other parts of the state where he expressed disappointment with what he saw and vowed to take necessary action in the overall interest of his people.
“We came for the site assessment of work done by the contractor. We want to know not only the level of work done but also the amount of money received by the contractor visa viz the work done.
“A few days ago, we had a meeting with the contractors in Abuja where they assured me that work was already ongoing and that the problem they are having is rainfall which stopped them from erecting the full bridge but they said their equipment were already on site.
“As a true representative of our people, we have decided to come here today to see things for ourselves, regrettably on reaching here, I could only see a single crane without a single person working. It should be noted that there was a budgetary provisions for this work and based on records available to me the contractors received nearly two billion naira.
“I have the facts and if this is the level of work done, then action needs to be taken urgently to safe our people. If need be, we would invite anti-graft agencies like EFCC and ICPC to look into this matter because our communities cannot continue to be left out of the world.”
