I feel challenged because even opposition voted for me – Bobboji

Hon. Abdulnasir Bobboji is the Executive Chairman of Jalingo Local Government Area of Taraba State. In this interview with, OKERAFOR ATHANATIUS in Jalingo, he expresses excitement over his landslide victory in the recent council election in the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that he was challenged to carry everybody along because, the opposition contributed to his victory. He also touched on other issues.

May we know your impression on the victory in the just concluded local government election that produced you as the Executive Chairman, Jalingo Local Government Council, which you contested under the banner of the PDP, despite the fact that Jalingo is a stronghold of the APC?
I am really happy and excited and I feel challenged, because of the overwhelming support and endorsement I got towards winning the election.

It was in a very challenging environment because, Jalingo is more or less an opposition, headquarters and centre and for the fact that one contested and also won, I think it is something to be excited about.

But I am challenged because I know, as you can see, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members voted for me overwhelmingly, some of the opposition members also voted for me.

Perhaps, it is because of the potentials they have seen in me and that is what poses a great challenge to me so that I will live to justify the confidence reposed on me and make a difference. This is my challenge.

Hon. Chairman, no sooner than you assumed duty, you started from Environmental Sanitation exercise. What made you to start from sanitation?
Well, you know that cleanliness is next to godliness and a healthy environment is the joy of every community.

As a metropolitan of culture, you should expect Jalingo to have a befitting outlook as a model and that is why I said, as part of my priority, and part of my blueprint that Sanitation is going to be pursued vigorously, more especially, the involvement of the youths and the community.

You know, in the past that decent health is part and parcel of our virtues and culture. Where you see the members of each community, come out on their own to embark on sanitation exercise without waiting for the government, such a people are development oriented.

That is why we want to rekindle and imbibe this in the lives of our youths and remind the elders the need to be involved in this task with a view to be participating in this enormous responsibility.

That is exactly why I said that we have to spearhead it and as you can see, I personally participated actively in most of the sanitation and I am glad to tell you that the community, the youth and the committee are now responding actively to this exercise, because there are many groups that are on their own who are also embarking on the sanitation exercise.

On the Health Sector, the state Primary Health Care Development Agency, monthly flag-off Polio Campaign Immunisation.
Since you assumed office, you have never let this exercise pass over without making sure that parents of children resident in Jalingo make available their wards for immunisation. What is your impression on that?

Well, I think that one too is heartwarming because, when I took over as the Caretaker Committee Chairman, I could recall, when the Minister, during his visit to the state said, “The information we got was that Jalingo was the leading local government with non compliance cases of the people that do not want to actively participate in the Polio Immunization and that, about 92 percent of the non compliance people in Taraba State is Jalingo.

I was so saddened and of course, that posed a very formidable challenge to me as a responsible leader. That is why I took the bull by the horn, participated actively and I am glad to inform you that today, we have been able to reverse the ugly trend, because, from the 92 percent non compliance that is in Jalingo and about 90 percent in one community, that is Nassarawo, only 2 percent are shared among the other parts of the local government.

So, it is actually at Nassarawo community, mostly made up of people that are strangers to our environment. Strangers that are coming either because of the relations they have in Jalingo, they are hanging around with them.

In their communities, they claim that they don’t do this thing and when they come here, they also want to constitute a nuisance to us.

That is why we got involved actively and by the grace of God and as at the last one we did, virtually, we reversed that ugly trend from 92 percent to virtually 0 percent.

So, I think, that is a plus to our leadership, because I actively participated together with my Councilors, as well as the community leaders. That is the secret of the success so far, the modest achievement we have recorded.

What is your next programme and policy for the people of Jalingo Local Government, what next do you intend to achieve?
The next thing I want to achieve which is also part of my blueprint is this issue of unity in diversity, peace and security.

I intend to put all these in place and I am working on that. How to mobilise all the prominent sons and daughters of Jalingo from all walks of life.

I intend to bring them here, the local government secretariat, to have a common platform, where the elders will contribute and participate in socio-economic development of their various communities.

Jalingo Local Government is blessed with prominent personalities who have held positions like Chief Justice of the Federation, retired, Chief Judge retired, Professors and Federal Permanent Secretaries and a host of others.

I think, there is every need for us to see how to bring these great men and women together so that they will contribute in providing guidance, counseling, and the necessary support to all tiers of government, the local, state and federal.

I will plead with them to be present and by the time we are together, we will explore and exploit the wisdom, the experiences and the exposure and definitely, it is going to be impactful and impart positively on the local government.

And Jalingo, as an Urban and Metropolitan Centre that occupy a rightful place, not only in the state but within the committee of other local government areas in the state. This is my dream.

You assumed duty under the auspices of the PDP while Jalingo is a stronghold of APC. How did you manage to change the trend?
Just like I said earlier, I am a typical, local man and a grassroots politician.

I have my tentacles spread across all the political parties, and the entire ethno religious device. So, my name is virtually a household name and that was why I was able to garner support beyond the political devide.

And as I have said, I have scores of potentials of being a grass rooter and my connectivity with virtually all segments and strata of the people that made up Jalingo.

I think, that has added an advantage to me over and above the candidates of other political parties. Indeed, that is the secret of the defeat of the opposition despite the fact that Jalingo is a strong hold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

APC is the opposition in Taraba because PDP produced the government that is ruling the state. All the State Assembly members are members of APC, even the member representing the local government at the House of Representatives is an APC member.

The secret is just my connectivity and the fact that the leadership of the party was able to sit down and produce sellable cadidate, that is the secret of the defeat of the opposition, despite the fact that Jalingo as you said is more of APC inclined.

What is your relationship with the Media?
I am a friend of the media and they are also part of the success so far recorded. The modest achievement, I don’t want to say I really succeeded, but the little success I have recorded, I think it is as a result of the support and encouragement of the press.

And in general, I think without the media, no matter what you are, you are a nobody. I think, I have been accessible because I have an open door policy and by the level of my orientation, as I told you, I am a grassroots politician.

I used to interact freely with all segments and strata of the people and that is also, of course part of the secret of success so far that I have been able to put in place which is appreciated.

What is your message to the people of Jalingo as it concerns Governor Ishaku and his administration?
I want Jalingo people to give Governor Ishaku and his administration their maximum support because Jalingo is the headquarters and capital of Taraba State. Jalingo Local Government is the beneficiary of government at the state level.

The N5.6bn Water project is not cited any other place in the state, but Jalingo. The road network so far embarked upon by the state government is in Jalingo.

The street lights that are being provided, all these are being obtained in Jalingo. So, they have no reason not to appreciate His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku.

Despite the meager resources, despite the economic recession, we have been able to get these things from the state government.

I think there is every reason why we must show appreciation, reciprocate by giving government support and also the most encouragement the government and PDP deserve so that more dividends of democracy will come our way.

This is actually what we should do, our people should be appreciative, appreciation is part of godliness, when somebody does something good you have to appreciate it.

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I am challenged because I know, as you can see, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members voted for me overwhelmingly, some of the opposition members also voted for me. Perhaps, it is because of the potentials they have seen in me and that is what poses a great challenge to me so that I will live to justify the confidence reposed on me and make a difference. This is my challenge.