Kano, when sending rep, send someone like Alhassan Doguwa-Abdul Kano

By Abdul Kano

It is about two years to the 2023 general elections, and Kano State will be one of the leading stakeholders in the elections for its strategic position in the country and its population.

The major concern to any concerned citizen of Kano State is the state’s future in the Nigerian polity.

As a build-up to 2023, there are agitations here and there, incidentally , Kano State as a cosmopolitan city is not alienated to the political scenario.

The state has more to offer to the north and Nigeria in general than to take its leave in such an aggressively unclear way.

Apparently, the destiny of the commercial city is tied not only to all the states in the country but also some West African countries.

In essence, Kano State has all the potentialities to rub shoulders with megacities globally; what is needed is to put those who know how to pull strings in political offices appropriately.

Though agriculture is the mainstay of the state, there are one hundred and one business opportunities across the 44 local government areas that make up the state.

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Kano has an intimidating population, landmass and the natural resources to take the lead in the country.

For this, Kanawas – the professionals, the mighty, the lowly and even the artisans – have a moral responsibility to take Kano state to a greater height.

The first step in this direction to realize the dreams of the forefathers of this state is an all-around self-assessment.

This requires consideration of the state’s motives and the correctness of the cause of its action, meaning we have to ask our self: where Kano stands in state ranking in the country and where it is heading to?

Yet, there are hope, If one of the determinants of growth and development in any democratic government is a good and committed representation, Kano should learn to send people like Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the member representing Tudun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency and the Majority Leader of the house, for effective representation.

This means the people of the state should come out in their numbers in 2023 to cast their votes for altruistic, vocal and energetic individuals who have the state in the heart.

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Alhassan Ado Doguwa is fasting, changing the narrative. He had demonstrated this once and again.

If you have someone like Doguwa in your defence line up  to use football language, you have more than a four-person defence like – solid and ever ready.

Here is a leader who is ready to lay down his life for his constituents, for Kano State and for Nigeria in general, if need be.

My thought is that this astute representative, Doguwa, had his survey well prepared before he even contested. He had seen how Nigerians were (many still are) grilled in the jaw of bad representation that spares neither the old nor the young, men or women.

One needs not to be told that Doguwa is the oldest serving member at the green chamber. His actions are clear testimonies.

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Unlike other representatives in various parts of the country who take advantage of the misfortunate of their constituents to score political cards, Doguwa treats issues of political importance from the source.

With the resurgence of security threats in Falgore forest, the member refused to pass the buck. The blame game is out of his political dictionary.

He quietly engaged the state government and took the matter to the state’s highest hierarchy of security apparatus.

He visited the state commissioner of police and Brigade Commander, 3 Brigade, Bukavu Barracks, Kano and sought urgent intervention on the upsurge of criminal activities at the axis.

As if prodded, the security operatives embarked on an all-around operation to comb the forest and rid the surrounding communities of the criminal elements.

What I like the most about this political leader is that he is always first on the scene.

When this place, Kano, where my umbilical cord was buried, was trapped in the controversy of Coronavirus pandemic and the “mysterious death” was on the prowl, Doguwa took the matter to the right place.

I had never imagined this political leader could take a bullet for the Centre of Commerce if need be. Who knew he would fight to the very last until justice is served for the very people he swore to represent.

Kano State had in perpetual fear for almost a fortnight – that absolute fear that dries up one’s throat and makes one wet their palm with sweat.

Neither the authorities in the state nor the governed slept with two eyes closed. The cold hands of death were having a field day.

The mysterious deaths, as they called them, had continued to ravage the heart of the state. The state government’s efforts were demoralized by enemies from within and without.

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The danger is immeasurably monstrous. The state government had almost exhausted its resources and energy in the fierce fight to stem the spread of the disease.

Kano needed urgent intervention, but the federal government said: “As we are all aware, Lagos and Abuja have the most confirmed cases in Nigeria. Our focus, therefore, remains to urgently and drastically contain these cases and to support other states and regions in the best way we can.”

It recruited hundreds of ad-hoc staff in Lagos and Abuja to man call centres to support the government’s tracing and testing efforts.

It provided an initial intervention of ten billion Naira (N10b) to support Lagos state, as it fought to contain and control the virus spread.

The government also created a Presidential Task Force (PTF), focusing on the two states.

There is no objection against that. The two states belong to Nigeria, but Kano was burning and deserved its share.

Then appeared,  Doguwa as tall and rigid as the Iroko tree. He neither passed any buck nor did he saw the moment as an opportunity to use the blame card for political relevance. He just swung into action.

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The one-person battalion flogged the matter at the green chamber until it was welcomed by rapturous applause of approval.

Following the approval of N15 billion intervention funds for Kano State by the House of Representatives, a friend who is an aide to a senator called me and said, “If you send a representative, send a strong one like Doguwa.”

Alhassan Ado Doguwa has paid his dues. He singlehandedly rallied all the members to support the motion.

With one single sentence: “if the situation in Kano State is not quickly checked, more residents will lose their lives,” he set the wheel in motion.

For Alhassan, Ado Doguwa Kano state is worth dying for. He knows at home there are people who sincerely gave their votes and are hankering for good representation. This is a lesson for every one of us to learn from.

Abdul Kano, a public analyst writes from Kano