Why I want to represent Abuja South – Sadiq

You are vying for the House of Representatives seat for Abuja South in 2019. What are you going do differently from those who had been there?

I was born and brought up in Kwali and I know the problem of this particular constituency. There are a lot of politicians who always make different kinds of promises while they are canvassing for votes. But I have chosen not to go that way. I have a couple of programmes which will have impact on the lives of the good people of Abuja South. There are some issues that require urgent intervention. For instance,  education; as of late, you will realise that people have avoided public schools and are patronising private schools in the name of quality education, thereby leaving the largest percentage of the vulnerable people in the society which governance is meant for to their fate. I have programmes supporting the less privileged through provision of instructional materials and payment of school fees across the four area councils that fall within my constituency. 

Also, I have tried to use my office as the Director of Conflict Resolution and Interfaith Matters in the National Youth Council of Nigerian (NYCN) to mediate between community leaders where there are disputes.

Again, some couple of days ago, I organised a skills acquisition training for some of our women across the four area councils, where they learnt how to make soap, tie and dye, cake and many other detergents. I also empowered them with some token to start their own businesses for them to be self-reliant.

I want to let you know that as a town planner, there is this issue of resettlement and compensation; because if you want to bring development, you need to resettle people that you displace, which I observe nobody is talking about.

The FCTA has always been saying that the natives have been properly compensated and resettled. Are there pending issues concerning resettlement and compensation of the natives?

I don’t think I should be in the position to say whether the natives have been duly compensated and resettled, but obviously, if you check the Apo Resettlement Scheme, it is a model of successful planning, but you will find out that there are no natives in those houses. Compensation has to be a process of incorporating the affected people you are displacing in order to make harmonious development; not giving them something they cannot use.    

You contested for the chairmanship of Kwali Area Council in the last April 16, 2016 election, where you lost at the primary, and you are now vying for a seat in the House of Representatives. What informed your decision to contest for the seat?

You see, for political history, sometimes, if one does not have a history, he may come up to challenge you that you have no political history, which was why I contested for the chairmanship of Kwali. Although I lost, I was able to take political steps and make my intension known. Through my programmes; supporting the less privileged and youth empowerment, I am someone that believes in what I can offer for the country and not what the country can offer me.

What strategies are you putting in place to get the people’s support?    

I am making effort to see that I get the support of the people at the grassroots, even though I don’t want to disclose my strategy here until the appropriate time. But you also know that politics in Nigeria, even in advanced democracies, people are always interested in knowing your manifesto, but such is not obtainable in this country; which is quite unfortunate. So like I said earlier, we have been consulting with the people at the grassroots as we keep on supporting them in order to build confidence in them that if given the mandate, I shall make a difference; God willing. 

Besides, I am someone who actively engages in trying to see what I have to offer to the people of Abuja South. And I want to assure the good people of Abuja South that if given the mandate, I shall always join hands with my colleagues at the National Assembly and also liaise with relevant government agencies and parastatals to ensure that infrastructures are provided across rural areas of Abuja South.

You contested for chairmanship of Kwali Area Council against the incumbent Chairman, Joseph Shazin, and here you are again contesting against him for the House of Representatives. What do you think are your chances?

That is a good question. I regard the sitting chairman as a big brother and for the fact that you are a big brother doesn’t mean a younger brother cannot come with an idea which you don’t have. However, I want to make clear that it is not a fight, but rather a collective mission for the interest of the good people of Abuja South.