Son to former Kogi State Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Idris (Ibro) one of the Aspirant of Kogi State Governorship seat, under the platform of People Democratic Party (PDP) has reveal the reason why he is contesting for November 2nd 2019 Governor election in Kogi State.
Abubakar Ibrahim Idris reveal this to daily trust, via interview with their correspondent.
The interview read;
Why do many people wonder why you are in the governorship race?
” I have been under very serious pressure for a while from our people, urging me to contest for the governorship of Kogi State. Initially, it was not a matter for me to take seriously because of the fact that my father is a former governor of the state. But interestingly, the pressure kept mounting on daily basis and the reasons they gave were not the kind of reasons that can be brushed aside. The truth of the matter is that we have a peculiar situation at the moment in the state; the situation we have found ourselves as a people demands that every one of us must be patriotic for us to salvage the situation. The prevailing situation in Kogi State is so sad that any right-thinking individual with a milk of compassion flowing through his veins must respond to offer his own quota to the quest of bringing our people out of the quagmire they have found themselves in.
I have given the issue a very serious thought as a bona fide and patriotic citizen of Kogi State, and I have decided that in the interest of our collective aspiration, as a people, there is need for me to respond to the massive call of our people to provide quality and purposeful leadership for them. At the moment, our people are suffering, our people are stranded, our people are hopeless and our people are dying on daily basis as a result of poor leadership. As someone that has been privileged to understudy leadership very closely, I believe that I possess the requisite experience, the administrative capacity, as well as the understanding of our people to be able to provide them with the kind of leadership that will return smiles to their faces at this critical period. Your father served this state as governor for two terms and you want to become governor. Many view the move as akin to establishing a political dynasty by your family. How would you react to that? It is normal for some people to make such insinuation, but I can assure you that the present situation that we find ourselves in Kogi State has nothing to do with personal or family interest. If you know me very well, you will understand that I am not one person that likes to play to the gallery; even when my father was the governor, I was hardly seen pushing for relevance. Now, the juncture at which we are is such that the foundation of the state has been badly destroyed. It is such that the unity existing among the ethnic groups has been threatened. The civil servants are suffering; pensioners have been subjected to all manners of frustration leading to unprecedented numbers of death. The underlying structures for a sustainable socio-economic development of the state have been totally bastardised. So, for anyone to be linking my aspiration to personal or family affairs is uncalled for. I understand the sentiment of such people, but one thing I like to tell you is that I will be doing the people of Kogi State the greatest disservice if I fail to yield to the repeated calls for me to join the governorship race. Also, those who know me can attest to the fact that I am not the desperate and overambitious type. But we have come to the point where we have to sit down and determine our future and the future of the unborn. It is in the light of this agonising moment that it has become imperative for all well-meaning Kogites who have genuine interest of our people at heart to yield to the call for selfless service at this period. In the last few years, no state in Nigeria has attracted bad publicity like Kogi State on account of the directionless government we have in place. So, if God has endowed me with the capacity to turn things around for the good of the people, will it be right for me to turn down this call because of a sentimental factor or reason? Looking at the challenges ahead, particularly now that the PDP is in the opposition, how prepared are you for the race? Let me say quickly that preparation for this kind of assignment is in the hands of God. It is God that crowns kings, so we are relying on God to support us in this aspiration to deliver our people. We are relying heavily on God to give us victory. Like I told you earlier, the suffering of our people at the moment in Kogi State has no party, religion or ethnic affiliations. Our people have seen the other side of the coin, and I believe in this coming election, our people have made up their minds on the party that can serve them better. The PDP has a history that is incomparable in service delivery and purposeful leadership. So, as I have doffed my hat into the ring, I am believing God that if I am able to secure the ticket of the party, together, we will establish a participatory system that will turn the situation around for the good of our people. Essentially, I will tell you that the battle is not mine, it is that of God who will in turn propel the will of the people who are already desirous of a positive change. Your father remains a strong political actor in the state; how are you leveraging on that to further your ambition? Definitely, it is going to have a positive effect because my case is going to be like a needle with a thread that cannot be easily lost. If my father served the state and he is still able to maintain his integrity, relevance, popularity among the people of Kogi State, then one should expect that such a person cannot and will never allow his son if given such a rare opportunity to jeopardise his hard-earned reputation. His advice and counselling anchored on his wealth of experience will definitely be an added advantage. How do you intend to change the negative narrative that the state seems to be identified with? Here we go. That is going to be the difference between me and other contestants. You cannot give what you don’t have. We are in this mess in Kogi State because power has found its way into the hands of people that never expected such position of responsibility. Leadership is not about the number of certificates, but it is about the capacity to galvanise and mobilise both human and other relevant resources for the good of the people. So, leadership fails woefully if it has no capacity or ability to do this. What are the immediate things you think your administration will do to revamp the economy if elected? God has been good to us through natural endowments in Kogi State. With over 27 solid mineral resources in commercial quantity; if given the opportunity, the immediate task of my administration will be how to harness all these solid minerals for the betterment of our people. We will create a conducive environment that will attract the influx of investors. We shall create industrial zones. We shall also try and give tax cuts to investors to enable them stabilise. By so doing, the economy of the state will flourish while thousands of our unemployed citizens can be gainfully employed. Insha Allah, we shall take a holistic look at the case of the events of the last few years, particularly the reform of the civil service. We intend to revisit, re-engineer and restore the dignity of civil service in the state. We shall ensure that we return the civil service to the glorious days where each worker will find fulfilment in his career while at the same time, making sure that the ministries and parastatals perform the traditional and legitimate responsibilities”.
Credit: Daily Trust
Be the first to comment