INTERVIEW: The future of PDP in Yobe state is bleak – Chief of Staff to Governor Geidam, Abubakar Saleh‏

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Chief of Staff to Yobe state governor, Alhaji
Saleh Abubakar is one of the leading politicians
in Yobe state. As a stakeholder in Geidam’s
administration, he speaks with DailyPost on the
2013 local government election and what the
state government hopes to put in place in 2014
for the people of Yobe state as well as other
sundry issues. Maina Maina sent in excerpts:
Q: December 28, 2013 was a special day for
the government and people of Yobe state.
It was a day to be remembered in many
years to come. We are talking about the
local government election. Your Party, the
APC did not leave a single seat to the
opposition, yet there was no much talk
from the opposition on the usual
accusation that accompanies such election.
What has the government done to tame
the oppositions in Yobe state?
Ans: Truth and trust is what gave All Progressive
Congress (APC), an edged over the opposition in
Yobe state. Everybody knows what is happening
in this country and in the state in particular. In
fact, there are opposition parties that said they
would not take part in the election because they
did not believe there was peaceful atmosphere in
Yobe state for an election like this to hold. But
that unfounded and baseless allegation has been
proved otherwise with the peaceful conduct of
the local government election. If there is
insecurity in the state that would not allow for
peaceful election as they claimed, the situation
and peaceful conduct of the election has shown
that, they were not on ground as the governor
would say. Now, our stories would be told, and
people or rather states, which are hitherto afraid
to go into such election would have the
confidence to also put on record that, when the
people stand united, they can achieve a common
goal in every situation and circumstances.
We are not saying that there are no security
challenges in our state, but at all times, our
prayers is for peace to reign in our state. We do
not wish ourselves and our state bad news. But
they (opposition) are bad news to themselves,
which is why Yobe has always been the home of
ANPP and now APC. The people of Yobe state
have submitted to APC under the leadership of
Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam because they have come
to term with the truth and also believing that
only truth can pull us out of the curse that,
oppositions, particularly PDP is wishing the state.
They said they were not taking part in the
election, and we had an election where the
people gave us the mandate to stir the affairs of
the local governments. There are small talks here
and there, but they cannot come out to boldly
challenge the election because they know that,
PDP is dead in Yobe state. In fact, not only in
Yobe state, the whole country is aware of what is
now happening in the PDP; the party is dead and
dead for good.
Q: Governor Ibrahim Geidam has
presented the 2014 budget, which he tags,
‘Budget of Reconstruction and
Consolidation of Economic Transformation’.
How would you describe the achievement
of his government in 2013 and what does
the government hope to put in place with
the budget in 2014?
Ans: With gratitude to God, we have the firm
belief that, what we have achieved in 2013 and
what we hope to put in place in 2014 are as a
result of our collective resolve to better the lives
of the people of Yobe state. The people of  Yobe
state have been very supportive of our
administration; they have shown to us that, they
believe in the judgement of our governor, Alhaji
Ibrahim Geidam towards ensuring peaceful
coexistence  amongst our people and working
towards improving the lot of the common man as
well as his efforts towards the development of
Yobe state in general. Our call on the people
always is that, they should come together to
support the administration of Alhaji Ibrahim
Geidam and to build a state that we can proudly
say we collectively built. I am happy that, the
people are appreciative of government’s support
and gesture. Everybody knows that we are faced
with security challenges here; our prayers are
that, we should put behind us, those challenges
and focus on what we ought to do to better the
lives of our people. We are a people, who believe
in the unity of this country and our state, and we
remain prayerful in the hope that God, who
knows everything, will deliver us from the various
challenges the state is faced with, particularly
the issue of insecurity.
One of the major achievements of this
administration in 2013 is  job creation for
teeming youth. We have constructed roads to
localities that never dreamt of such prior to the
coming of Geidam as governor. Our women go to
the hospital and get free treatment and drugs.
We have improved in our education sector and
Agriculture is given its rightful place among
many other things. Our relationship with civil
servants does not just end while they are in
active service. Only recently, about 2000 retired
workers in the service of Yobe state government
benefited from the 2013 government approved
N1.263 billion payment for pension.
About N590 million out of the amount will be
paid to 1, 296 people who have retired from the
services of the state government, while N673
million will be paid to 568 local government
retirees. The governor has also set up a
committee under the chairmanship of Alhaji
Bukar Chidami, former executive chairman of the
State Revenue Board to oversee payment for
state government retirees, while the local
government pension board will undertake
payment for workers who retired from local
government service. This prompt payment of
benefits for government workers and retirees is
part of our administration’s continued effort to
encourage and reward hard work and service
delivery to the people of the state. The governor
is determined to continue with this and other
measures to ensure that workers who have
served the state and retired are assisted to a
dignified and comfortable lives in retirement.
In 2014, as you have witnessed in 2013; a total
sum of one hundred and two billion, eight
hundred and ninety-nine million, one hundred
and forty-two thousand naira (N102, 899,
142,000) was propose and presented to the
Yobe state House of Assembly. The budget has
an increased 15.78 percent over last year’s
budget of ‘Transformation’, which is eighty-six
billion, six hundred and fifty-eight million, two
hundred and ninety-nine thousand naira (N86,
658, 299,000). The budget, which is expected to
foster unity and stimulate economic growth, will
help government to put in place setbacks
experienced in 2013, occasioned by the
continuous insecurity situation in the state.
Above all, what we want to achieve in 2014 is
peace. Without peace nothing can be achieved .
Peace is the solid foundation that the Geidam
administration hopes to build its legacies on. It is
the peace that would afford us the opportunity of
touching the lives of our people in the most
positive way, by providing water, education,
good health and all that the people are also
expecting government to do for them.
Q:   Health, education and security are
major concern of the people of Yobe state;
can you say that, this administration has
done remarkably well in addressing these
issues?
Ans: Just like I have tried to explain earlier on, I
can list series of achievements made under the
Geidam administration and the list will go on and
on. We have achieved so much in the health
sector; we have put in place a 200 bed hospital
here in Damaturu to be fully equipped with
modern facilities that, our patients would no
longer need to travel abroad for medical
treatment. This is just one; our direct
intervention in the lives of the people of Yobe
state also include the 300 victims of attacks that
were given N133 million for treatment outside
Yobe state. 18 out of the 300 were supported to
undergo knee and hip replacement therapy and
other orthopedic procedures to treat gunshot
wounds sustained in various attacks by criminals
and insurgents. The number also includes less
priviledged patients with chronic conditions such
as advanced diabetes and chronic liver disease
who require regular medication, but are not in a
position to provide on their own.
Already, renovation works on the general hospital
in Buni Yadi, Damaturu and Damagum have
reached an advanced stage and more hospitals
are scheduled to come on stream.
Our schools are now in the ranks of the best,
especially our University. Recently, we were in
the United Kingdom with the governor,
where we  have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) designed to facilitate
academic exchanges and capacity building
between the Yobe State University and the
University of Wolverhampton. We have also
signed a similar MoU on mutually beneficial
relationship with the Robert Gordon University,
Aberdeen in Scotland.
The MoU also covers areas such as exchange of
students and staff between the two universities,
joint research activities, participation in seminars
and academic meetings, exchange of academic
materials, special short-term academic
programmes and staff development, amongst
others.
Governor Ibrahim Geidam is keen to nurture the
state university to an enviable status of academic
excellence and provide opportunity to youth in
the state to access quality university education
at home. This also is the reason behind the
massive academic and infrastructural
investments that his administration is making in
the university, which saw it emerging as the
‘fastest growing university’ in the north of the
country.
Although, there were security challenges in the
northeast part of the country, the situation is
gradually improving and the effort of the state
government and the military as well as support
from the populace will ensure full restoration of
peace in the long term. Some of these things
said about the northeast of Nigeria are
exaggerated; they are contrary to the reality on
ground. Yes, there are security challenges, but
things are gradually improving. We are confident
that things will get back to normal with the effort
of the state government, the military and the
robust support of our people. And as we move
forward, we will be guided by our hopes and not
our fears. We are confident that we will put our
state on the path of recovery and consolidate on
the gains we have made for the overall benefit of
our people.
Q: Finally, there are tensions both in the
PDP as well as APC over the presidency of
this country, what hope is there for APC in
2015?
A: Our hope is that, we will walk PDP out of Aso
Rock come 2015. And in Yobe state, we hope to
build our legacies on a solid foundation, by giving
the people of Yobe state hope for the future and
to establish truth, honesty and trust in our
efforts towards the development our state.