By Abba Dukawa
Great leaders have vision, they have clear and exciting ideas of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish and are excellent at strategic planning and implementations of their vision and mission in governance.
Other excellent characteristics of good leadership are courage, integrity, focus, perseverance and humility. Indeed Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya has all these characteristics as a public servant; this made it possible for him to implement so many laudable projects and programmers within his first and second term in office.
The Journey of his representation of the constituency started on the 9th of June 2015 when the 8th assembly inaugurated and was immediately swayed into action to provide the peoples of the constituent an inclusive representation.
He kept to his vision and mission in turnings things around and made the constituency a model one. Indeed he proved to be consolidator of modem Ajingi,Albasu and Gaya constituency. Electorates in Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu constituency knew that those before him in the House of Representatives from 1999-2015 have deserted the electorates of the constituency.
In these years the constituency is one of the most neglected in the country in term of true representation in the national assembly.
First of its kind since the returned of democracy in the country in 1999 none of the two members served before him have opened constituency office in the headquarters of the three local government areas represented in the House of Representatives.
As he promised the constituent peoples that he would runs inclusive representation and also have constituency office. Immediately after their inauguration promised fulfilled and made his constituency office in the headquarters of the three local government areas he represented.
On inclusive representation In every year budget proposal Hon Mahmud engaged constituent peoples to decide on kind of projects that their respective wards and local government areas at large needed.
When budget proposed each year returned, he had a parleyed with them to intimate them on the constituency projects and amount allocated to him for their inputs before passing the budget in fact this has became an annual parleyed since was elected in 2015 till date .
In the 8th assembly constituency’s projects Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya ensure re-positioning the educational sector in a more definitive, progressive and revolutionary manner by constructing and rehabilitating schools buildings and provided them teaching tools.
Constructing and rehabilitating many healthcare facilities across the three local government areas represented in the last five years of Representation in the House of Representatives.
Provided hundreds of hands and motorizing boreholes across the constituency, also Provided solar streetlights across three local government areas. Hundreds of hand bumps provided to teaming youths toward development of irrigation farming in the area.
Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya has done a lot in securing jobs to deserving youths in the paramilitaries, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, FIRS, CBN, KEDCO, State and federal governments’ MDAs all these were recorded in his first term.
Empowered thousands of women across the three local government areas through AMG Women Economic Empowerment Program (WEEP) on various skills with N20,000 as capital for each beneficiaries.
When 8th Assembly resolved to constitute an Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Debts Amounting to over N500 Billion allegedly owed to the Petroleum Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) by Oil Marketers. He headed the Ad-Hoc committee and steering committee wonderfully.
While the wanting Oil Marketers has been mandated to return hundreds of billions to government coffers. Having satisfied with his earlier assignment which help the country to recovered hundreds of billion for oil marketers the leadership of the House seen it’s considered that Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya to be among the 16-WISE MAN Tactical Committee on Economic Recession Recovery.
This AD-HOC committee has greatly helping the country to combat the challenges faced by the Nigeria economy and also interface with Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments as well as interact with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Labor Congress, Civil Society Organizations and any other stakeholders that is considered relevant in the bid to arrest the recession and return the economy to the path of growth and stability.
In the current assembly, Hon Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya is the House Committee chairman on Petroleum Resources (Downstream). When Nigerian Customs Service issues directives that no petroleum products permitted to be discharged in any filling station within 20 kilometers to the border. Which as result a of these directives inhabitants of these border towns are already feeling the brunt of the border closure.
House mandated the Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), to engage the Minister of Interior, the Minister of State for Petroleum, the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs and the Group Managing Director of National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ,Petroleum Resources (DPR) Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the stakeholders.
Just recently, the speaker of the House mandated Committee on Petroleum Down Stream, to carry out a forensic investigation into the recent recruitment of graduate trainees by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) with a view to determine how many persons were recruited from the various host communities.
During some oversight functions on Petroleum (Downstream), to the Nation’s marabout’s refineries committee has interface with the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC in respect of the redundant refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri, to know what their challenges really are, and what needs to be done to resurrect them.
Last December Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Mele Kyari, and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Hon.
Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya inspection newly refurbished Ijegun-Egba access road. The road project was funded by the petroleum product depot owners operating in the community is to help alleviate the plight of the residents and also ease movements of petroleum products in and out of the community.
Like what even became a tradition in Nigeria during Yuletide festivities fuel scarcity occurred but last year as result of synergy between NNPC and House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Petroleum (Downstream) the festivities was free of fuel scarcity.
Within one year of 9th assembly he was able to constructs three block of classroom in each of the 30 wards of the constituency all waiting for the commissioning. Empowered hundreds of women’s with different skills acquisitions and another set of 300 hundreds Women across his constituency on modern goat rearing with N20000 as start off capital.
Through AMG (ESP) Educational Support Programme; Paid examination fees for final year Senior Secondary Schools Students set for either NECO or WAEC examination across the three local government areas.
Purchased and distributes hundreds of forms for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Through AMG (ESP) Educational Support Programme financial assistance granted to students, paid tuitions fees of Hundreds students of higher institutions of leanings.
Paid examination fees for final year Senior Secondary Schools Students set for either NECO or WAEC examination across the three local government areas.
Purchased and distributes hundreds of forms for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), for his constituency final year Senior Secondary Schools Students.
Empowered many women’s across his constituency with different skills acquisitions another set of 200 women empower on modern goats rearing with 20,000 as start off capital for each beneficiaries.
He was able to constructs three Blocks of classroom each in the 30 wards of the constituency which many of projects were finishing waiting for commission or at final stages.
Construct motorize borehole with over head water tanks at various wards, constructing and rehabilitating many healthcare facilities across the three local government areas.
No matter what anyone would say, the amount of dividends of democracy bring to the door step of the people he is representing is unmatched and importantly all shone brightly of his admirers and detractors to access him.
