INTERVIEW Why Kwara politics is dynamic –Ali

AbdulHamid Oladipupo Ali (Mr Nigeria), is the Publisher of Nimah Magazine. He at various times vied for chairmanship position of Ilorin West Local Government and House of Assembly seat in the Council. The journalist turned politician in this interview with MUMINI ABDULKAREEM shed more light on his foray into politics and dreams for his constituency. Excerpt.

How would you describe your journey so far?

I have been a media man all my life. Except when I studied French for a year at the Lagos State University, my diploma, B.A and Masters Certificates, were all in Journalism. I moved to Ilorin in 1992 because I saw that I have spent some years for the development of Lagos State literarily then as the President of Lagos State Press Club Association. In Ilorin, I discovered there was only The Herald Newspapers and as young as I was then, I started the first indigenous paper known as Kwara People Magazine which was launched by Former Governor Sha'aba Lafiagi.

Was your action dictated by any aspiration?

No. My interest was the passion and concern to promote my ward at the grassroots because Ogidi ward seems to be backward to me then. When I come home from Lagos, I attend meetings in my ward and ensure that the proceedings were either published in the Herald Newspapers or my own publication.

What were the challenges then?

At a stage, it became rough and tough as I ran into lot of debts. In 2003, we got a breather of sort as the magazine together with National Pilot were the only two indigenous newspapers invited to Abuja to cover the swearing-in of Hon Gbemisola Saraki as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There was nobody to give us advertisement as at that time but we decided to grow with the state. I dabbled into book publishing, writing the biographies of popular sheikhs, Imams and people in the state to keep us in business. So, everything I have done is using the media and my literary skill to project my community, Ilorin Emirate and the state in general.

At what point did you develop interest in local politics?

Initially, I was not really having political interest but at an "All Africa Conference on Education" in Mozambique in 2007, which attended as an accredited foreign Journalist, the then Minister of State for Education, Hajia Aishat Jubril Doko sent for me after the event that she was impressed for the work I am doing there. She encouraged me to come back home and later introduced me to the former first lady, Hajia Turai Yar'Adua. It coincided with the period late Prof Dora Akunyili was having her rebranding Nigeria project. I established the Nigeria re-branding club after meeting with the former Ambassador to South Africa now late, Gbenga Ashiru to tell success stories of Nigerian doing well in medicines, sciences and various fields there. The project was taken to South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique self sponsored and that was when their citizens named me “Bai Nigeria”, (Mr Nigeria), because of my passion for the country.

Back home, I established Omolewa Youth Concern Forum having seen the efforts of the first lady in contributing to humanity and was named first LEAH Ambassador. Later, I made some proposals to the state government on job creation and the office of the SSG set up a committee to meet with us. That was when I was advised by a committee member to go into active politics to better achieve all my lofty ideas.

So far, how has it been since you went into active politics?

I started by contesting for the chairmanship of my ward because I was convinced that what the leader wants is not all about money but somebody with genuine interest, ideas and passion to serve. That really launched me into the real political terrain in my ward and since then I have attracted the Kanu Heart Foundation to treat those with holes in the heart in my ward and delivered my polling unit at the last election. For me, it has always been about Ogidi ward and I have published different leaflets, handbills to create attention. I want to give people of my community the chance to develop themselves. It's not about just giving them money.

What is your take on Kwara politics?

Before now, people used to describe our politics as local but that has changed now after Bukola Saraki's emergence as Senate President. I imbibed late Baba Saraki's concept by not waiting for election period before I start contributing something to my ward. That is what politics is all about. Saraki's emergence is a manifestation of the vision I had when I formed the 'Daud and Sulyman Volunteers' in 2014. The concept is moulded after Prophet Daud and Sulyman whereby the father was a king and son a super king, who superseded his father in everything. After the death of Olusola Saraki, the leader has grown in all aspect of life. The father was Senate Leader and the son is now Senate President and this has put Kwara politics on world map.

How will you describe the crisis at National Assembly following Saraki's emergence?

I see stability because all these early signs are going to normalise at a stage. Life itself is a battle field. Because of the way he started, he is going to be conscious of the seat. God has given him the necessary wisdom and intelligence. What has happened has also enabled us to appreciate the beauty of democracy because it is not established that the ruling party must have all the principal posts. It’s an internal party issue which will be resolved, but our concern in Kwara is his success as Senate President.

What is your take on youth and politics in Kwara?

My advice to Kwara youth is to eschew the idea of getting rich quick. If you look at my story, I have been in the system for almost fifteen years and never aspired to be anything but was just serving. I didn't get my car until I was over forty years of age, the money I spent campaigning for the ward chairmanship and House of Assembly was enough for a car and people were breathing on my neck to go and get one. But it is not the number of cars that indicates the quality of the person. Not that I didn't have the money but it was not my priority then. I deliberately did that to change the mind set of young people. By the time you have started some kind of luxury as a youth, it will be difficult to move further and you want to bite more than you can chew because you are not yet stabilised. I’ve committed more resources into creativity, touching lives and serving humanity because of my passion to serve. So, the youth should always build themselves first.

What is your perception of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in his second term?

Two things are happening now. The fear of sustaining the political situation in the camp of the APC has been eroded. Even the opposition has come to accept the fact that Saraki dynasty is God made. I believe Governor Ahmed will add more value to governance than he did in his first tenure especially with the promise to inject new blood into his administration. It means he is ready for reforms and it means he is going to use people with ideas and great intention that can move the state forward with him. He has said one should not expect anything when such person is not popular in the ward. It means he is really ready to make changes.

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