With massive socio-economic & political revolution in just one month in office, Tinubu is, indeed, APC’s special gift to Nigeria…as citizens testify – Abdullahi Sanusi Kaiama, APC chieftain/ SPECIAL INTERVIEW

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Pix above:Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi Kaiama

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–President Bola Ahmed Tinubu…The special one

Riding the crest of current nationwide appreciation of steps taken so far by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put Nigeria on the right track of national development, Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi Kaiama, Turaki Borgu and top APC leader from Kwara North Senatorial District, spoke with media men in Abuja recently and concluded that God used his party to provide Nigerians a special gift in the nation’s 16th president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Excerpts:

Sir, how do you react to the current nationwide appreciation of official steps taking so far by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president in his first month in the office?

There is no denying the fact that the first month of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been very impressive. This fact has been expressed by Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora and I will like to tell Nigerians and friends of Nigeria all over the world that this impressive start will not be a flash in the pan. You can see as he himself told the world recently that he is really prepared for the job of leading Nigerians at this historical time of our national life.

You seem to be very optimistic of President Tinubu’s capacity and capability to take Nigeria to a new height; is that why you supported him as grassroots mobiliser for the North in the last election?

Yes, you’re very correct but the level we are now, I will say that I have passed the level of being optimistic. I am very convinced he is president Nigeria and Nigerians need now.

During electioneering campaigns and even after the presidential election, many people strongly argued against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of our party; but this situation has largely simmered down recently.

Talking of marginalisation; you have severally expressed that Kwara North Senatorial District where you come from needs to have justice in terms of leadership of your state, what are the issues in this regard?

I think we as Nigerians should begin to agree and respect the Holy Books which expressly state that it is God who chooses leaders for the people. Specifically, the Holy Quran states that God chooses leader to do justice and fairness to the people they lead. In this regard, you can see that Almighty God used our party, the APC, to give Nigerians President Tinubu as a special gift. As everyone can see, he is a man of justice from the appointments he has made, particularly in regard of the Service Chiefs. For the first time in Nigeria, there is a balance and no one or any geographical zone of the federation is talking or crying of marginalisation.

I think there is one key issue when you talk about marginalisation of Kwara North in the politics of our state. This issue is about the leadership of our state in terms of the governorship position. Yes, there was the brief tenure of Governor Mohammed Lawal between 1999 and 2003. Then Bukola Saraki took over and we hoped he would complete the Central District’s slot started by Governor Lawal but he spent 8 years which we Considered his constitutional right. However, since Bukola Saraki took over the leadership of our state more than two decades ago, the position has been rotating between Kwara Central and South senatorial districts. In 2011, we were pacified to allow AbdulFatah Ahmed from Ifelodun Local Government in the South Senatorial District and he did his own eight years. Again, in 2019 when we thought it was our turn to produce the governor, our party prevailed on us in the North that we should give the current governor (Governor Abdul Rasaq) who is from the Central the chance as a winning strategy and we obliged. As a matter of fact, I have to personally give up my governorship ambition for the sake of unity in our party, the APC. Thank God that 2027 is around the corner, we expect that justice should be done and the North should be given the governorship slot by our party for fairness and equity as we also have leaders with capacity and capabilities to lead our state at any point in time.

Have you been marginalised too in terms of Ministerial appointments?

No, I don’t really think so, but I think there is much to be done in this regard. Kwara North has been treated fairly regarding ministerial appointments. In the pioneering administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in this dispensation, we had Hajiya Amina Ndalolo as a cabinet minister and under late President Yar’Adua, there was Alhaji Ibrahim Bio as Minister of Transport; they were both from North Senatorial District. However, since Yar’Adua era, ministerial positions from Kwara State have been rotating between Central and Southern senatorial zones.

What are the sectors of our economy you will advise President Bola Tinubu should give special attention?

We are happy in our party that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has started well and I believe Nigerians are generally happy with him too, so far. Thank God he has spelled out what will be the focus of his administration for the good of Nigeria and Nigerians. First, I will advise that agricultural sector of the economy should be given adequate policy focus because this is one sector that can sustain us as a nation. Efforts should be made to encourage mechanized farming and make agriculture a business with adequate and sustainable credit facilities by banks to the Nigerian farmers. I strongly believe that agriculture is an alternative to our overdependence on crude oil. For instance, I don’t think the price of a litre of crude oil could be more than N500 whereas anywhere in our country today, the price of a litre of fruit juice is between N1,000 and N1,500.

Secondly, efforts should be made to encourage foreign direct investments in key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Thirdly, the administration of President Tinubu should pay attention to making the Naira Stronger. In particular, the administration should stop official abuse of the Naira. The fight against the abuse of Naira should not be limited to spraying at social functions alone. The current situation in which the Dollar is used as legal tender for local transactions in some circles, particularly by government officials, should be curtailed and made a criminal offence.

Lastly, President Tinubu has talked about bridging the gap between official and parallel markets in foreign exchange. I will advise that his administration should look at what Russia did last year to crash the almighty dollar against her currency by making it compulsory that crude oil should be bought in Nigeria with the Naira and not dollar. I believe in this way, the Naira will be busy and gap between the markets will be close and the exchange rate of the Naira will improve tremendously and the dollar and other foreign currencies will be chasing the Naira./SHARE THIS