From Paul Orude
Ali Wakili represents Bauchi South in the Senate. He chairs the Committee on Poverty Alleviation. He said that his party, the ruling All Progressives Progress (APC) has done quite well in meeting the expectations and aspirations of Nigerians.
How would you react to the comment that as a senator, you are an errand boy to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara?
I will resort to what the Bible say, ‘Forgive them oh Lord, for they do not know what they are doing’. By my parentage, culture, and religion that says ‘Obey God; obey the prophet and those in authority’, whether I like Dogara or I hate him, whether I like his tribe or I don’t like his tribe, whether I appreciate his religion or I don’t appreciate his religion, in Allah’s infinite mercy and wisdom, because he give mercy without measure to whoever he wants, He has exalted Dogara above each and every one of us out of 187 million Nigerians. He has blessed him as the fourth citizen, so I owed an obligation to follow, to come to terms with what God has done even if I don’t like it. Second, Dogara is my political ally, I represent him in the Senate and he represents me in the National Assembly. The degree of cooperation between him and I determines the degree of developmental projects that come into the constituency, not only the federal constituency but the whole of our constituencies, and this has paid off.
How do you mean?
The Bauchi/ Jos road, the Bauchi/ Gombe road, Gombe/Yola, in joint consultation and lobby with Goje, with Dogara, with Sani Abdu and on this side with Barden Gabas we were able to ensure that these things have been out in the 2016 budget and the federal government has awarded the contracts. I have mentioned some roads in Bauchi South here; we are going to have two roads that will come to Lere, one coming directly from Pankshin, one will come from Dogara’s village and still pass through inside this Lere. The whole of Dass have a small radius that if there is good road, within an hour you can go round Dass. By providence and by our cooperation with Dogara, the federal government has awarded close to 16 billion naira road contracts in the state.
As a retired Comptroller of Customs what do you make of Hamid Ali’s refusal to wear uniform to appear before the senate?
I have said it, let me repeat it, I will not do anything untoward that will bring disrepute to the Senate as an institution even if I am not there. Secondly, I have said it, I owe obligation to Colonel Hamid Ali, the Comptroller General of customs, as my constituent. I said I am trying to mediate between the Senate and him, and I had a three hours discussion with Colonel Hamid Ali and one former senator and few other people. You will see how we are going to have a balance. You know my loyalty goes to the federal Republic of Nigeria through the Senate and that is an institution established by the constitution and anything that will amount to an affront on that institution I would not want to be party to it. But I decided to be a friend to the Senate and to my constituency- the Customs; we are going to find an amicable solution to the issue.
What is your take on the controversy generated by the recent memo sent by the governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Rufai to President Buhari?
Why must I react to a letter that was allegedly written in September 2016? Things that are hitting the polity I would not be a part to it please.
What is your take on the Magu’s case with the senate?
You think it is morally right for me to contribute to speculation? The process of confirmation was shown live on television. Everybody saw what transpired. So what is speculation there?
But people are saying that some senators are under investigation by the EFCC and that was why they don’t want him confirmed. How true?
You see we can’t eat our cake and have it. We are in a country where we are expected to disagree. Our justice system provided that one is innocent presumably until proven guilty. So why must we speculate? You see part of the Nigeria processes is that we adjudge people guilty on the pages of the newspapers and in the social media and when it comes out to the contrary; we begin to say ‘yes justice has been compromised.’
Let’s come to the politics of Bauchi state. People are speculating that you are shopping for a candidate for governorship in 2019…
Who is shopping for a candidate? Is it Waklili? Who are those being speculated to be shopping for a governor?
The lawmakers opposed to the governor, Senator Ali Wakili, Dogara and the rest?
You see let us not be elevating speculation and even as Muslims it is even against the tenets of Islam.
Sincerely speaking, how would you assess the leadership of your party, the APC so far? Do you think your party has met the expectations of Nigerians?
Without mincing words, we have done our best and our best has come. Prior to our coming, two years ago, you would not even want to venture out to come to this very place at this material time. The number of security check points you would have passed through will be so agonizing that you would have kept yourself indoors. That is one. If you look at the fact that the government is doing its best to resuscitate the economy, you will appreciate the APC government. A high powered committee under the Vice President is chairing the economic team. From the legislative side, you would have discovered that last December we came up with 24 point resolutions, advising the presidency on how to get out of recession so that Nigerians can smile. Remember we kicked against selling of government assets. Remember we advised the government to diversify the economy, and happily Mr. President himself agreed with those resolutions and he has set many things into motion. We came and met a backlog of problems. Most of the states were not paying salaries. The president was magnanimous enough to give bailout to all states. He has discovered that for us to regenerate the economy there must be growth. How can there be growth? We must improve the capital budget. For the first time in years the 2017 budget has provision for over 30 percent of the budget dedicated to rejuvenating the infrastructures-roads and others. There will be construction. There will be works going on.
Artisans and professionals have employment. You see I will draw copiously from my state because that is my immediate environment. You have seen the governor and the government showcasing some health Centres and boreholes at our health institutions. It is the APC government under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari that was magnanimous enough and gave 1.5 million US dollars to each of those states to go and ensure that the healthcare system is improved and sustained so that the lives of the people is improved upon.
The APC government is very sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
There are so many things for us to celebrate and for us to feel proud that the votes of the people have not gone in vain taking into accounts what happened prior to the coming of the APC government.
We also have the social protection safety net, which is just a stop gap because when the APC took over and when Mr. President was campaigning, the quantum of youths that was always surging forward to receive him that were unemployed, gave us concern. So we are only trying to temporarily ameliorate the situation pending permanent solution. Last year, 200, 000 youths benefitted from the N-Power. In 2017 it is expected that 150, 000 would benefit. This is apart from other programmes like the social protection programme, where the poor get monthly stipend of N5000. So, by and large, Nigerians are happy with the APC government.