Rep commends Speaker on motion to rebuild North-East

A MEMBER representing Ganjuwa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives and former Speaker, Bauchi State Assembly, Haliru Dauda Jika, has commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, for moving a motion to rebuild and reconstruct the North-East region which had been devastated by insurgency.

Speaking with journalists in Bauchi yesterday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Jika praised the vision and foresight of Dogara, saying it was an indication of his leadership acumen.

He said: “The mover of that motion was the Speaker himself. He stepped down as the Speaker and moved the motion as a member because of its importance, saying ‘when you look at north-eastern part of this country, it is the most devastated region in Nigeria.’

“Eighty per cent of the area has been affected, everything from Boko Haram to poverty, the north-eastern part of the country is the most affected area. So, we feel it is the priority of the legislators and representatives of the people of the North-East.”

He said that the region would need a sister ministry or agency like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in order to rebuild or reconstruct and redevelop the northeastern part of Nigeria.

The Bauchi State Assembly former Speaker said that the move has received the blessings of major stakeholders from the region and northeastern senators to move the motion on the floor of the House, adding that the same thing would be done on the floor of the Senate soon if they resume on September 29.

On whether the crisis in the National Assembly had been amicably resolved, he said: “We have been given the mandate by the electorate to represent them at the House of Representatives by the people of Nigeria and not a House of political parties.

“So, what transpired on the floor of the House is not the affairs of the PDP, APC, LP, APGA or any of the political parties but is House of the Nigerian people from the day we took the oath of office as members of the Eighth National Assembly. We are members of the National Assembly not just members of APC.”

On his plan for the people of his constituency, he said: “I said this wherever I go that what inspired me to join politics was the passion I have for youths and women because they are the backbone of every politically and democratically-elected government. We want to see how we can impact positively on their life. So, this is one of the major reasons I joined politics.”