Comrade Akwuh Okpanachi Muhammed is the Chief Executive Officer of Ajason Plastic and Water Company Ltd. He was of the aides to the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. In this interview with Nigeria Project, he speaks on his principal and his desire to represent his constituency in the State House of Assembly.
By Chris Agada
How is your political journey?
I worked under the former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello. I was one of his SAs. I have also aspired twice to represent my constituency in Kogi State House of Assembly, but the challenge then was the issue of power rotation in my constituency. But, by God’s grace, the next time, the coast is clear because it will be the turn of my area.
We have been talking of economic challenges in Nigeria, one of the major challenges I have seen is not having the right people in the right places. Like myself, I’m very close to my people. I’m a grassroots publican. If given the opportunity, I’m not going to learn on the job. I have been part and parcel of what my people are passing through and before resumption, I will kick the ground running. All these things is having the right people in the right places, which is the challenge. Those of us that have been part of the people, managing businesses and people, if given opportunity, can change the narrative. It’s not a rocket science, it’s a matter of having the right people in the affairs of leadership.
You served under the former governor, Yahaya Bello; what type of a leader is he?
My principal, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, is a man that I have learnt few things from him. He doesn’t care to know your background, religion, region or race before he picks you to work with him. If it was to be the time of our grandparents (politicians), people like me should be talking of a councillor by now. I’m above forty years. If it was the type of politics our grandparents were playing in the state, I should be talking of councillor; then, what time can I aspire to become a LG Chairman, House of Assembly member and so on?
My boss, Yahaya Bello is a leader that when he gives you an assignment, he gives you free hand to carry it out. But, unfortunately, some people abuse it. I have been with him, still with him, and continue to be with him. I pray that God gives him another opportunity to lift him higher than where he is today. You see, government is all about good leader and succession plan. If we look at our president – Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that we keep saying he transformed or built Lagos, he started that vision from 1999 when he was a governor, and good succession plan made him to have governors that had same passion and vision, which is why Lagos State is better today. I could still remember how Lagos was so tough in the area of “agbero” and other miscreants. But now, the story has changed. The man that took over from him – Raji Fashola did well and the subsequent ones took that path. This is because of good succession plan. I was in Lagos a fortnight ago, and was making phone call in Oshodi for nearly 30 minutes (on phone), it was later I now said to somewhere with me that, “Ah? This is Oshodi?” that was around 6-7pm. If it was before, you wouldn’t dare it. Be on call in Oshodi for 30minutes? Before you know it, the “agbero” would come and grab the phone and disappeared. That was how Lagos was in those days, but through a visionary leader as well as good successors, Lagos has now changed from what it used to be. I used to tell people before that I can’t live in Lagos because of the stress of traffic deadlock, but today, the story has changed. This is the type of vision that the former governor, Yahaya Bello had for Kogi State. Slogan of “youths are the leaders of tomorrow”, is no longer relevant in Kogi State because youths are already ruling the state. But the challenge now is, how to identify competent people for leadership positions. Whenever Yahaya Bello appoints you or gives you an assignment to handle, he gives you free hand; he wants to see what you can offer. Some used such privileges well while some also abused it. Let me give you an instance, as a leader, if you are given something either as a palliative for 10 people, if possible, you can expand it to 20 persons but not to reduce it. But what do we have today? What is meant for some people, one person because he is privileged to be in leadership position, would either cut or remove half of it for himself or convert all for his personal use. So, if we are talking about youths, which I also one of them to be in leadership positions, we should work on our behaviour towards our fellow human beings. We need good mentorship, and ready to learn from them.
Yahaya Bello had a good vision for Kogi State, the only challenge is that majority of those who were privileged to work with him, abused it. They refused to give you access to meet him. This is because they discovered that you have some ideas that are bigger than theirs, because of that, they blocked you from meeting the then governor.
In 2018, when I aspired to represent my people in the House of Assembly, I knew what I passed through in the hands of his then Chief of Staff. Once his then Chief of Staff knew that you know your worth, and have something in your head, you become a threat to him. He preferred those that would come and say, “Yes sir, yes sir.” But good leadership quality is not supposed to be so. You need to give your subordinate or follower opportunity to share his/her view.
Yahaya Bello is a good man and had good plans for Kogi State, though as a human being, he may not be perfect; but in a nutshell, Yahaya Bello is a good man and had good plan for the state. Thank God for what his successor (Alhaji Usman Ododo) is doing – he is actually doing well. And for me, identifying a successor like Usman Ododo was a big access to the former governor and the State. The governor has started very well and I pray that he continues in that path.
Let me tell you, just like I said earlier, not all youths are bad. With all humility, if I’m in a position and N10m is given to me for the people or earmarked for a project, why should I touch it? But some people even as little as N500,000; they would corner it. I bet you those who criticize Yahaya Bello, if given such opportunity, would do worse than him.
Many of us came to APC because of our late political leader – Prince Abubakar Audu, and by Divine Providence, at the verge of victory, death took him. Since then, we have remained in the party and continued to be loyal to the party.
Thank God for the current President – Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, he is doing well and we are praying for him to do more for the betterment of the people.
The followers complain that you politicians always forget them when you get to power; what is your take on that?
The challenge is that the followers are not loyal. For instance, if you send somebody an errand, ask him to go and buy handset (mobile) that worth N50,000 for you, he would go to the market and comeback only to increase the price, if you are aware of that, next time, would you send such person? Our people, especially the youths, are not ready to be patient and loyal; patience and loyalty pay. But as far as they are concerned, they want to make it now! Now! They are not ready to serve with loyalty. If you’re not loyal, who will entrust things in your hand?
If you’re given the opportunity to serve your people in Kogi House of Assembly, what are the things you have for them?
The first thing I will pursue is to push for a law that would make education compulsory and affordable for the people. The second thing is to enact a law that will give the farmers a legislative backing. We should have an agency that relates directly with the farmers. Before pets or diseases come on their crops, such people are in position to curtain it, so that it wouldn’t destroy their crops. There should be a legislative backing to the famers, as well as setting out an agency that would manage the farmers in the areas of giving them soft loans to support their crops, and follow up such loans or grants so that it would be used for that purpose; if not properly monitored, it could be diverted.
Another aspect is the market women. We need to strengthen them by giving them soft loan or grants to support their businesses. We have a lot of women that are into petty businesses that if properly taken care of, can really be of immense benefit to the society. We will provide grants to them and is going to be in phases – if one group collects today, it will be the turn of another group next time – it’s going to be rotational. The idea behind all of that is to eradicate or reduce poverty from the rural areas.
How do you want to handle the issue of political thuggery?
In Idah, where I come from, the issue of political violence such as killings is not there. We can argue with one another, but taking gun to shoot ourselves, is not there. The major challenge in the Eastern part of the state is from within the axis of Anyagba, Dekina and Ankpa. But I strongly believe that with time, all that would disappear. Politics shouldn’t lead to violence such as fighting or killing one another; it’s very wrong.
