By Nasir Dambatta
“Kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change” – Bob Kerrey
The nation and the North are now beginning to wake up to the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster that the activities of insurgents and bandits have created in the North-west. About three million of fellow citizens are internally-displaced with hundreds of thousands of orphans, hunger and malnourishment, previously unknown in the North, now becoming alarming features of existence in the North-west.
Indeed, it is only fair to say that dealing with this humanitarian disasaster will require a stronger political will and deployment of the highest managerial competences than those required for defeating banditry.
In Kaduna State, the simultaneous challenges of continuing the fight against banditry, rehabilitating IDPs and rebuilding lives, communities and infrastructure will require the best in leadership capacities and huge amounts of resources.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flagbearer in the state and Senator representing Kaduna Central, realizing the magnitude of the problem has taken steps to show that he can meet these challenges, or at least lay solid foundations for their obliteration.
Uba Sani has paid series of visits to the various IDP camps spread across Kaduna state without taking time off.
While he pays personal attention to the promotion of the welfare of IDPs in the state, it is also undeniable that Senator Uba Sani has become an exemplary silver-lining in legislative activities, philanthropy and leadership by example. He also successfully runs a one-man squad against poverty and insecurity across the nation and especially Northern Nigeria, by which he has since proved his mettle as representative of the people. The Senator has now confounded his critics over 20 legislative bills as a ‘first-time’ Senator. Being the first lawmaker whose bill (BOFIA Act) became the first to be assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari under the current (9th) Senate is a no mean feat.
His numerous legislative and oversight functions in Abuja have not detered Uba Sani from his obsession with uplifting the lives of Kaduna IDPs, which has for all intents and purposes become his major constituency, though largely unnoticed.
Since it may be difficult to keep track of all the visits he has made to the Kaduna IDP camps, it is however necessary to recall a few for the purpose of this discussion.
He visited IDP camps in his constituency of Giwa and Kajuru Local Governments with millions of naira worth of foodstuff, clothing among other needs of the refugees.
The lawmaker was at the Kajuru IDP camp to sympathize with the people for the second time and he gave them hope about their possible return to their respective homes that they have deserted in the wake of frequent bandits’ attacks.
It is on record that the Senator had extended a similar gesture on March the 7th 2021, when he donated millions of naira worth of relief items to conflict-affected families camped at primary schools in Kerawa, Birnin Yero communities of Igabi Local Government. He also went further to spread the relief materials at Buruku in Chikun Local Government in order to alleviate their hardship. The materials were doled out by the lawmaker in accordance to the relief needs of the displaced persons. And to him they remained eternally grateful.
While graciously giving his milk of human kindness to the IDPs, he pulled another surprise by extending financial support to members of the civilian Joint Task Force that have been complimenting the efforts of security agencies in curbing the activities of bandits in his Senatorial Zone, especially protecting IDP camps.
It is also on record that the first batch of displaced communities that benefitted during the take-off of the IDP’s succour programme included Dallatu, Digani, Unguwan Audu, Bakin kasuwa, Jura, U/Tofa, Sauran Giwa, Kosau, Kajinjiri and Gidan Makeri.
A second visit to the IDP camps by the Senator kicked-off with Giwa Local Government, where he seized the opportunity to formally commission the 110-capacity-bed girls’ hostel of the Giwa Secondary School. He did not hesitate to drop a hint about new moves to alleviate the suffering of the people, while commissioning the Kajuru Primary Healthcare Facility he sponsored under his 2020 constituency projects. The lawmaker assured the people during his numerous visits to the IDP camps and communities in his Senatorial Zone that the incumbent governor of the State, Nasir Ahmad Elrufai has been working tirelessly to ensure that all parts of Kaduna are safer for the return of all IDPs to their respective communities.
He then urged the IDP to intensify their prayers for devine intervention over the insecurity challenges, even as relevant stakeholders were redoubling their efforts of tackling the menace.
It is now evident that none of the governorship flagbearers in the forthcoming 2023 race in the State has a base within IDP camps. And INEC will definitely give this class of voters, known as IDPs, the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Dambatta, a veteran journalist is also Deputy Director in Directorate of Strategic Communications of the Kaduna State Campaign Council
