‘How our councillor changed our lives’

The 28-year-old councillor representing Ekowugi Ward of Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State, Abubakar Ahmad Yabagi Mallami, has been in the news since his assumption of office, and for the right reasons. The young man has made history through the community services he renders, which cut across healthcare, education and environmental protection.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that apart from paying volunteer Community Health Workers in Ekowugi Primary Healthcare Centre N5,000 monthly stipend from his pocket to boost access to primary healthcare service among his people, he had also been donating learning and writing materials to primary and secondary schools in his ward to encourage enrolment.

Chairman of Agaie Local Government Council, Ibrahim Halil Sayuti, told Daily Trust that “the effort made by the councillor has taken off pressures and demands that come from his ward to the local council.

“I don’t receive as many requests from his ward as I receive from the remaining wards and it is because of his effort and sacrifice to see that he serves his people. He is not rich; all he does are sacrifices. He has been attending to the needs of his people at ward level. And surprisingly, he was the only councillor that had to go through court battle from the primaries but eventually won. He has truly reduced the burden on the local government in terms of requests and demands from ward levels,” the LG boss said.

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Residents said aside from the renovation of the primary healthcare centre within 6 months of his assumption of office, he paid for over 100 Primary six pupils whose parents could not afford to pay for their common entrance examinations in Etsu Nuhu Primary School to encourage school enrolment, especially among girls.

The head of Ekowugi Primary Healthcare Centre, Usman Abubakar, told Daily Trust Saturday that “Before he intervened, our primary healthcare centre had dilapidated and the casual staff we had were not coming to work regularly because we were not paying them. I was the only one doing most of the work. Also, before now, the clinic was not fenced and all the windows had no burglary proof, so thieves were stealing our things. But now, he has put burglary proof and renovated the entire building. He also got us some furniture and placed five of our volunteer staff on a monthly stipend of N5, 000 to motivate them. He also donated cash to the clinic to motivate us.”

Abubakar added that “the gesture has improved the healthcare services because even those who were not coming to work regularly now come to work every day. I have nine staff and five are volunteers. These volunteers have been helping us because we lack manpower. He also made an effort to connect electricity to the clinic.”

He said the centre receives dozens of patients every week, especially pregnant women who come for antenatal care.

One of the volunteer staff in the clinic, Mohammed Umar, said “I have been working in the clinic for over one year now as a volunteer staff without being paid. But when the councillor started paying us the N5,000 stipend, it truly motivated us. He has fixed our light and pipe-borne water again.”

A resident, Aliyu Abdulmalik, told Daily Trust Saturday that “His intervention, especially in the Primary Healthcare Centre, has helped because it has boosted the morale of the volunteers. Though it is not much, it is still better than when they were not being paid anything. This has never been done before, and he did this within his 100 days in office.”

Asked how he raised money to execute his plans, the councillor, Abubakar Ahmad Yabagi Mallami, said “Immediately we were sworn-in, I joined a group for a monthly contribution which I was doing from my salary. So, I requested to be given the first contribution and members agreed. Also, I have a diploma in Architecture so, I do other menial jobs for people to raise money.  I use these monies to do what I have been able to do.”

He added that the primary healthcare centre was dilapidated and thieves had stolen almost all the valuable things there. So, he put up a burglary proof and constructed some furniture for the staff and patients. “They receive a lot of patients, including pregnant women, and they didn’t have any government staff. I placed the casual staff on monthly stipends to encourage them to do more to help my people.”

Mallami said while his case was in court, he was still doing the little he could to improve the wellbeing of those who voted him into power.

He also made an effort to encourage enrolment of pupils, especially girl children, in school by paying for the common entrance examination of pupils whose parents could not afford it.

According to him, “I went to the primary school in my ward and discovered that the Primary six classrooms were over populated. The head teacher of the school told me that there were 180 primary six pupils (made up of three sets) who ought to have passed but their parents couldn’t pay the common entrance fees and other charges amounting to over N100, 000. So, I requested for the bill and settled it. The pupils have done their common entrance examinations to proceed to secondary school.”

Also fascinating to residents was the hiring of labourers to clear major drainages as part of efforts to curtail malaria due to stagnant waters around the environment.

He also donated cash and writing materials, including packs of chalk, to Government Girls’ Secondary School in the last six months.