Following the continuous attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents, one of the senators representing Yobe south senatorial district, Muhammed Hassan on Friday, December 25 2015 opened up on an attack that nearly took his life.
The senator representing Yobe South senatorial district is a proud member of the Peoples Democratic Party and a member of six committees which include committees on FCT (Vice Chairman), Power, Appropriation, Marine transport, Upstream, Finance, Adhoc committee on legislative agenda and works. He is also the only senator from the Boko Haram ridden state.
In this interview with Chinenye Ugonna of Naij.com, Hassan describes his ordeal with the insurgents leaving him with broken ribs. However, he also spoke explicitly on his plans for 2016 and the reforms we should be expecting in the Federal Capital Territory in the coming year. Read excerpts and watch video below.
Now that we are going into a new year, how do you assess Nigeria’s development so far since the President Muhammadu Buhari administration? Do you think Nigeria is where we are meant to be?
To me, i will say security which is a major problem in my constituency. We thank God that we have not experienced any suicide bombing lately which used to be a weekly affair. Life is coming back to normalcy. To a great extent, on security, i must commend the President and the gallant soldiers trying to ensure that peace returns in this region. On economy, we are faced with a lot of challenges. The fight against corruption is a good development especially with the revelations coming out which has also impressed he international communities. I will say the government is doing very well.
Watch Hassan’s ordeal (the article continues below):
Is the National Assembly doing anything to see that we transcend from where we are at the moment?
Of course. We had our own challenges when we started with the leadership but that has been settled. The National Assembly has cooperated with the executive to a very large extent. The senate sat for hours to ensure the ministerial nominees were screened and the committees have began action. The National Assembly has been doing a great job.
What are the new reforms and policies we should be expecting from you especially in the Federal Capital Territory since you are the Vice Chairman of that committee?
Its not reforms per say. If you will recall, when the 8th senate commenced, it came out with its own legislative agenda. The agenda was to ensure things are done differently in this eighth senate. This is in order to grant the needs of the people. We need to make sure that the committees are more efficient in a way that agencies and ministries do their jobs. It wont be how it was in the past. The National Assembly through the legislative agenda is trying to ensure that work is done through these committees and they are as independent as possible in their work. I think its a good thing. This is the first time the senate is having its own agenda.
You just mentioned that the eighth senate is trying to do things differently from the past, how would you rate the differences between the past and present leadership?
Well i do not want to bring down my colleagues but from what i have seen in my view, the quality of senators in terms of experience, exposure etc are better than the past. The quality of the senators are better now which is why we will yield better results.
READ ALSO: Read How Shi’ite Group Gave Birth To Boko Haram
The chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Sam Amadi, revealed that more than 50% of Nigerians do not have meters thereby reducing revenue generation potentials of distribution companies. What is your take on this?
Because i am a member of Adhoc committee on power, in one of our discussions with him, they have the performance agreement and all sorts of agreements with the distribution companies. None of these companies have met up to 30 percent of the agreement set to them which is quite worrisome. That is why i am one of those who felt that NERC as a regulating agency will have looked into that aspect of the agreement by penalising the failing companies. If you have agreed on something then they should be sanctioned when they go against it. Unfortunately, part of this should be done by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). They have abdicated that primary responsibility of supervision because they are members of the board of directors of each of these distribution companies.
Being a member of the Committee on Power, what are you doing to improve electricity in Nigeria?
We do not implement these things, instead, we are supposed to put those people who are to unravel this things to do them. The report is coming soon by the committee and all the recommendations will be presented to the floor of the senate. We had the minister of power in an interactive session here not long ago and it was quite clear when we brought this matter up to him to interact more with us on information.
Being from one of the states of emergency whereby insurgency is rampant. As a senator from that area, how are you trying to curb insurgency?
The issue of providing security to the Nigerian public is the sole responsibility of the federal government. We are here to make laws and provide the enabling environment for the executive arm to play its role. Regarding insurgency, the bill to establish the North east development commission has passed its second reading. All the 18 senators have come to support this bill including some senators from other states. This is something that has affected most of us. All of us should be concerned. I am a victim of insurgency. As i speak with you, five of my ribs are broken. There was an attempt on my life but we thank God I survived it. We have over 20 thousand refugees and almost 6 million IDPs, lost loved ones, properties and so many attacks on schools. Things are coming back to normal and we must commend our officers and soldiers on the field.
Please could you expatiate more on the attack on your life?
It was during the campaign and my convoy was attacked. The attack was directed at my own car. My closest confidant died in that accident and i was lucky i survived. When i was taken to the hospital in that town, I did not know how bad our hospitals were until i was asked to be taken to one of the hospitals in my home town. I could not believe it. As a result of that, i decided to build a hospital because there is no good one where i come from. I will make sure its well equipped. For the first time, my constituents are happy about the development because it is not by the government but a personal project. I got inspired by that accident because it could be any other person tomorrow.
Have you built the hospital already?
Oh no its ongoing. I just started. We are looking at completing it by the first quota of next year.
Apart from the hospital, what else are you contributing to your constituency?
Its difficult to say precisely what i will be able to do in my constituency. We are looking at the establishment of the North east development association such that there will be a reconstruction of the region, and the country as a whole. The budget when presented, will enable us make comments on the type of project to do for the constituency.
With the escalating Biafra crisis, do you see it exploding to some sort of insurgency in the South if not curtailed?
Well, my opinion is dialogue. That is the solution. You have to listen to people’s grievances. The law provides ways to air out those grievances. You do not take laws in your hands. Violence has never been a solution to anything and dialogue is the way forward.
I see that you are in about six committees, how are you able to manage all of them and carry out your work effectively?
Well, i do not know how i found myself there. I am doing my best. I have never missed any meetings unless when the meetings coincide at the same time. I try to do my colleagues like my other colleagues are doing.
The post EXCLUSIVE: How I Almost Lost My Life- Senator Opens Up (VIDEO) appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM.
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