analysis By Innocent Okadigbo The essence of grassroots politics is to promote popular leadership and dividends of democracy for the electorate. This is basically so because in a democracy, power emanates from the people and as John Locke, the English political thinker, said, power is a trust which the leaders hold on behalf of the electorate. Grassroots politics is the surest way of making the elected leaders listen to the needs, aspirations and problems of their people and take practical steps to meeting these needs. Today, grassroots politics has become a major and popular yardstick for measuring the success or otherwise of elected political leaders. Charity, the wise people say, begins at home. It is on this basis, that I salute the people-oriented and grassroots politics of Senator Abdullahi Idris Umar, representing Gombe Central at the Senate, who began as a grassroots politician and graduated with a higher degree in institution of grassroots politics in the country. Senator Umars grassroots patriotism predates his entry into professional politics. While he was practising as a lawyer in Kano in the early 1990s, he rendered patriotic and free legal services to his Yamaltu/Deba home community, which impressed his people to invite and draft him home into politics. He rendered free legal services up till Appeal Court, Jos, to regain the lost mandate of former local government chairman of Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area. Umar studied Law and graduated in 1986, from the University of Jos, thereafter, he did his one-year mandatory Law School in Lagos and was called to Nigerian Bar in 1987. He distinguished himself and made his people very proud of him through the successful prosecutions of cases he handled in the court, and his fame as a legal wizard spread in all nooks and crannies of the state. As a result, his people nicknamed him Barrista because of his prowess in handling legal cases. His people were also proud of his brilliant role as the legal adviser for the defunct Social Democratic Party, Kano State, having navigated the ship of the complex and sophisticated nature of Kano politics. During his first baptism of political fire, he contested and won the election to represent Yamaltu/Deba federal constituency, Gombe State, under the platform of UNCP in 1998. With the emergence of a new political transition and new political re-grouping, he was elected the pioneer secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gombe State in 1998, to lay a strong foundation for the party due to the trust and confidence the founding fathers had in him. He again contested and won the election to represent Yamaltu/Deba Federal Constituency under the new platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in 1999. For his worthy representation, he was re-elected in 2003, before his political metamorphosis into the Senate in 2007. Senator Umar has maintained a progressive rise in politics, winning all his elections because of his popularity with the people. It is remarkable to point out that in 1998, Senator Idris won the House of Representatives seat in very difficult circumstances. The chairman of the three local government and all the state House of Assembly members in that zone were from the rival Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPP). Nobody expected victory for any candidate from the UNCP, but due to his popularity with the masses and by Allahs help, he won, thereby setting the pace for his political transformation. Another distinctive political development occurred in 2003, when he was the only PDP member from Gombe State in the House of Representatives, re-elected. In fact, it was in the 2003 general election that Umar demonstrated his total loyalty and political sagacity in the PDP by working prominently with other party stakeholders for the partys victory in that election and this has stabilised Gombe State as a PDP state. Since 1999, as a member of House of Representatives and as a Senator, he has attracted a number of federal projects to his constituency, as well as federal government employment opportunities for his constituents and cash donations for development projects. He uses his personal resources to uplift the welfare of his people. He can be described as a welfare legislator, because his houses in Abuja and Gombe are a Mecca of some sorts to which people make daily pilgrimages for welfare and financial empowerments on regular basis. He is a highly detribalised and broad-based leader, who accepts everybody as one and assists people irrespective of class, religion and tribe, and this has made him a man of the people. The impressive ambassadorial role he played for his people at the National Assembly as the chairman, House Committee on Power for six years, chairman, House Committee on Finance for two years, current chairman, Senate Committee on Air Force, chairman of a number of a ad-hoc committees, regular members of National Assembly Conference Committees, his robust debates, erudite contributions on the floor of the House, quality bills for democracy dividends and good governance to his credit, all make him stand out as a pride to Gombe people. Senator Umar is neck-deep involved and busy with the mandate his people gave him at the National Assembly. He handled very sensitive assignments, particularly the probe of the food crisis in Nigeria by the Senate, which he was the ad-hoc committee chairman. As a great patriot, he is a vocal voice for good governance in the country and this has portayed him as a man of honour and integrity. His political humility has seen him retaining his childhood and old family friends and this factor endears him to the hearts of the people. Senator Umar is a genuine democrat, who has an open-door policy and who comes home every week from Abuja to interact with his people, understand their needs and aspirations and provide solutions to their problems. In all his legislative outings, he has conducted himself decently. Such opportunities become assets for the advancement of Gombe people. His name has been written in gold at the national level, of which his people can be proud of. He is also a selfless leader who is concerned with the wellbeing of others and who has used his elective positions to advance the cause of mankind. As a complete gentleman, he has enjoyed a good and cordial political relationship with the governor of his state, Alhaji Muhammad Danjuma Goje. The cordial political relationship seems to be the longest in Gombe State today, because for over 15 years, they have been together and this makes him to be in the best position to sustain Gojes worthy legacies. The political profile and antecedents of Senator Umar show that he is an icon of grassroots politics, a popular leader, a great patriot, a strong party faithful, a national figure and champion of good governance who has represented his people well at the National Assembly. A certain philosopher said that a leader must give up to go up. Having done well as a parliamentarian, it is important for him to give up the parliamentary work to go up to higher responsibility. This is the next challenge ahead of him in Gombe State. Governor Danjuma Goje, PDP leaders and Gombe voters may need to assist him overcome this challenge. In all, the talk about Senator Umar is to make Nigerian leaders learn to enact policies that are people-centred, which will go a long way in lifting the people from penury manifesting in economic hardship Nigerian electorate are facing. A good leader should always know that he is accountable to the people who gave him the mandate. It is not bad if other Nigerian politicians emulate the leadership qualities of Senator Umar in to make life meaningful to the people.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 21:48:46 +0000
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