Kabiru Ahmadu, popularly known as Mai Palace, is a Masters Degree holder in Mathematics and House of Representative member representing Gusau/Tsafe Federal Constituency under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is therefore the product of the Supreme Court judgement that annulled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) declaration of candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winners of the 2019 election. Along with his colleagues at the National Assembly (NASS), Kabiru was inaugurated on the 12th June 2019.
Kabiru also fell to history by becoming a product of the Not-Too-Young-To-Rule Act, which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. Indeed, as it is today, he is the youngest member of the House of Representatives and serves on three different House Committees, including, Public Accounts, Security and Intelligence as well as Custom and Excise as member.
From what he has been able to do outside his primary duties of legislation and oversight functions, within 100 days of his inauguration, the Gusau/Tsafe constituents would have missed quality representation, if the Supreme Court failed to do what was expected of it. At this time that good governance and quality representation are required, Kabiru has been able to display both, at least, to the testimony of his constituents.
Kabiru has taken his declaration by the Supreme Court as an act of God and, therefore an opportunity to explore to the brink, the philanthropist person in him by touching the lives of his people in all ramifications. Immediately after his inauguration, he did not wait for full legislative business, before he began display of quality representation. This is predicated on his political philosophy of (1) anti-corrupt representation and (2) advocacy for good governance.
Kabiru’s political philosophy surrounds human life. For him, the people are his strength, sword and shield and must ensure that their rights and privileges are not only protected but also seen to be respected. He thinks that it is the people that makes any leader and, therefore deserves more than a ‘wave of hand’ on passage. “But come to think of it, would we be where we are if not for the people? Why should we dump and disregard them after they brought us here?” Mai Palace quipped.
He, therefore created, within his political hemisphere, a sort of benefactorial attitude aimed at making his people know that in leadership, there is reciprocal wave that should cross into homes of every citizen; to make them know the importance of their votes and how those they elect into positions of leadership should hold them in high esteem.
As a result, Mai Palace developed a module of operation that would guide him in, aside from his primary responsibility of legislation, provide basic needs of the people. He knows the efforts of government needs to be augmented. He does not assume the position of government but feels that government cannot do it all.
He has thought of striking programmes like welfarism, free education/ scholarships (within and outside the country), employment and empowerment opportunities, rural water supply, through motorized boreholes and hand pumps and scores of other programmes that are beneficial to the people.
Others are the establishment of constituency offices in each of the two LGAs, health related projects, and establishment of an independent Joint Advisory council for the constituency.
Establishment of Committees
A humble man that he is, Hon. Ahmadu portrays he does not know all and that it’s only together that success could be achieved. So, in order to make things easier for him, he set up some committees to assist him in implementing his mission and achieving results. These include:
1. Mai Palace Advisory Council
2. Mai Palace Committee on Education
3. Committee on Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition
4. Committee on Employment and Job Creation
5. Committee on Islamic Affairs
6. Committee on Women and Children Affairs
7. Committee on Works Constituency Projects
8. Committee on Youths, Political Affairs and Constituency Matters
Under these committees, Hon. Ahmadu recorded the following, sector by sector:
Education sector: Working visit to schools:
Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu has visited some schools within Gusau/Tsafe metropolises where he discussed with their schools managements for possible intervention. Among the schools he visited were ZACAS, Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, Police Secondary School Gusau, Ibrahim Gusau Primary and Secondary School, Government Girls Secondary School Samaru Gusau, Lawal Koramar Boko Model Primary School Gusau, Focal Primary and Secondary School Gusau, and Dr. Karima Nursery and Primary School, among others.
Not visits alone, Mai Palace made donations to these institutions:
> He donated exercise books and instructional materials to some of the schools
> Donated Laptops to some primary school pupils and secondary school students who performed well in the last session
> To the students of institutions of higher learning, he paid registration fees for over 53 students
> He also donated bags of rice, cartons of spaghetti, cartons of macaroni, palm oil, and bags of seasoning to the students of Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, Mafara
> He initiated the sponsorship of 1,000 youths who have SSCE problems within Gusau/Tsafe to study remedial courses in Zamfara College of Arts and Science Gusau (ZACAS)
> He provided sponsorship to 20 pupils to study at Police Secondary School Gusau and the beneficiaries were selected based on merit
> He also provided sponsorship to 20 students to study at Mufida Academy Igala Quarters Bye-Pass Gusau
Empowerment:
Hon. Mai Palace in less than 100 days, has empowered 212 women in both Tsafe and Gusau local government areas. Thus, 20 women received theirs in Gusau while 120 women were empowered in a well organized ceremony in Tsafe town. The remaining 72 received theirs at different occasions in different places within the constituency.
The items distributed include:
a) Brand new freezers
b) Sewing machines
c) Spaghetti making machines and sack for flour
d) Grinding machines
e) Sacks of jerry cans of vegetable oil for gala making business
f) Cosmetics and make-up accessories and materials
g) Saloon machines
h) Cash gifts
Additionally, necessary arrangement has been concluded to empower another 500 women in Gusau local government. The selected beneficiaries will receive the following:
a) Brand new freezers
b) Sewing machines
c) Spaghetti making machines and sack of flour
d) Grinding machines
e) Sacks of jerry cans of vegetable oil for gala making business
f) Sacks of ground nuts
g) Cosmetics and make-up accessories and materials
h) Saloon machines
i) Cash Gifts
The youths have not been left behind. Hon. Mai Palace has concluded arrangements to empower some youths to be engaged in the following businesses:
a) Nail cutting
b) Male barbing saloon
c) Shoe making
d) Tailoring
e) Cap making and washing
f) Mechanics
g) Electricians
h) Etc
Skill Acquisition
Hon. Mai Palace through his skills acquisition programme will train 1000 (men and women) in various skills in order to make them self-reliant. At the end of the training exercise, the trainees would be given tools on what they specialize on, to set up their businesses.
About 200 youths are currently undergoing computer training and at the end of the training exercise, they will be given computers, scanners, photocopying machines etc, to start up their business.
Also, in celebrating his 100 days in office, Mai Palace will launch another Educational projects, which include:
> Commissioning of Toilets Constructed at Ibrahim Gusau Model Primary School Gusau.
> Distribution of Exercise Books, and other reading and writing materials to students
> Uniforms
Health sector
Mai Palace visited some hospitals within Gusau/Tsafe environs. He distributed mattresses to Tsafe General Hospital. He also, assured them that he will continue to make contributions for the development of hospitals across Gusau/Tsafe federal constituency.
Welfare packages: Gift of Cars and Motorcycles
ü Hon. Maipalace gave out 26 Cars to his people, the beneficiaries includes members of his campaign team, party leaders, etc
ü He also distributed 58 motorcycles to some youths in his constituency.
Business
Hon. Mai Palace supported nine people with capital to either boost their businesses or open a new one to be self defendant. Each of the nine people received nothing less than 100,000.
Assistance to individuals. Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu has been acknowledged by many in terms of arresting individual problems, needs and wants of not only the people of Gusau where he comes from, but also across Zamfara State. His constituency office has now become a comfort zone for his constituents. This he has exhale virtues in the areas of medical and educational assistance, and many more.
This he exhibited in terms of joy and sorrow. Places like Qur’anic graduation, marriage and naming ceremonies, he tries to be present in person and make cash donation. So also in the course of sickness, death and any form of calamity; he will also be there to condole and sympathize amidst showing great concern and affection. He settled N700,000 electricity bills for the people of Magazu, Keta, Bilbils and Wanzamai districts of Tsafe local government area.
He secured the release of 28 prison inmates who were incarcerated for reasons of debt.
He planted 1,300 trees at Gusau and Tsafe Friday Mosques
Sponsored bills, motions and presentations at plenary sessions
It’s part of the core/mandatory duties of a legislature to present Motions, Bills and Petitions concerning his constituency and the country at large.
To mention but a few:
a. He presented a petition against the unlawful sacking of newly recruited staffs (academic and non academic) by the Federal University Gusau. (The petition was considered Treated and some of the sacked staff were reinstated).
b. He presented a motion for the installment of Qur’anic memorizers (Huffaz) into the federal civil service and the modernization of Almijiri School System by upgrading its standards by adopting a long-term welfare packages (foods, clothes, environmental hygiene and skills acquisition programmes). (Pending)
c. A motion seeking the Federal Government to take effective measures in tackling insecurity in Zamfara State. He also requested that the Hon. Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila visits Zamfara State to ascertain the level of damage insecurity had done to the people of Zamfara State. (Considered, the Speaker vsited Zamfara)
