Professor Kabiru Umar Jabaka is a prominent politician in Zamfara state who enjoys grassroot support from the people of his Senatorial Zone. Professor Jabaka does not believe in politics of blackmail as being done by many politicians of our time.
Jabaka commended Governor Bello Matawalle for defecting to APC and also assures full support to the Governor.
He aslo maintained that he is contesting for senatorship position for Zamfara Central Senatorial Zone as requested by his people, adding that he did not withdraw from the contest as being circulated in Social Media.
Professor Jabaka granted interview with some selected journalists in his house in Gusau. Analyzer News online attended the interview and reported as follows:–
Sir, Governor Bello Matawalle has recently defected to APC. How do you see the defection? Are you with the Governor, now that he has left the PDP?
Professor Jabaka: I have been receiving so many complaints and questions and people have been wanting to know my stand from the grassroot and from our stakeholders. Many of them complained.
They want to know whether we will identify with his Excellency regarding his defection or we Shall remain in PDP. I was thinking prior to that, but for us we don’t need to make any clarification as far as this issue is concerned.
Because even before his defection, we made clear our. I can remember when people started calling me to contest for the post of a Senator for Zamfara central. They were advertising without a logo. So many people were asking us why we were you advertising without a logo? This indicates that it is like we have no platform. They have been asking what is your platform? Are you PDP, APC or which party?
As at that time, I could remember my response was that, we identify with his Excellency, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle and wherever he stands we are with him. That was my response then and I think as regards to our frequent meetings, from the grassroot that was also what we have been telling them.
That we identify with his Excellency because we are satisfied with whatever he does. We are confident that actually he means well for his people and not only that, his approach to governance is satisfactorily to us and that is what made us to commit ourselves and feel okay with whatever he comes up with.
We will support him and also garner support for him. In fact we are happy with his defection because we are convinced that he didn’t defect selfishly on his selfish interest. He has the interest of his people at heart and so we are 100% in his support.
Sir is it true that you have withdrawn from the contest?
Professor Jabaka: As you are aware, mine is a clarion call from my people. It is a clarion call and there is no way I can reject their offer. Many people are calling me to come out and contest for the post of a Senator because they believe that they are under represented and misrepresented in the zone and they are positive that I can do something different and so they invited me to come out and contest.
So by God’s grace I will not disappoint them. I made a lot of consultations before submitting to their call. We went to our Emirs, our elders where we consulted with them and sought for their support and advice and they gave us the go ahead.
So I have been hearing about this rumor that I have withdrawn from the contest. It is a mere distortion from the people who cannot sell themselves positively or may be they feel they don’t have the quality to advertise. So that’s why they take the negative marketing in order to blackmail me.
I have never said that I have withdrawn from the contest. It didn’t come from me. If I am to withdraw, I have to meet with my people that initiated it.
Let me repeat myself, I am contesting not for seeking any self fulfillment, l am only contesting to satisfy my people. So I am still on that promise. What is being shared over the social media regarding my withdrawal is just a mere distortion and it is not from me.
Sir, you have been accused of diverting some funds during your tenure at the state’s Zakat and Endowment Board and you didn’t perform well. What is your reaction?
Professor Jabaka: Well, as far as I am concerned, the accusations have a political undertone. People that are not ready to market themselves positively have decided to take up negative marketing as part of their campaign strategy.
I believe people of Zamfara state will not believe anyone who will tell them that I have diverted some funds and that I didn’t perform well during my time. You the pressmen are witnesses to our contribution.
We invited our Royal fathers, the people in the executive and Legislative arm of government to witness our activities and the general public were also witnesses to our contributions.
Our contributions are not only in the state. People have been seeing it in the media. So if anybody comes and tells them that we didn’t perform well, I believe they will not accept it. They will tell him that he is telling lies.
We initiated so many things in addition to the support we gave to people on daily and monthly basis. We trained people and gave them skills so that they could become independent. We did a lot of things. We impacted on womenfolks, the youths and even the elderly.
On the issue of diversion of funds and other alleged diversions, I believe people can judge from what was presented as it’s known to everyone of you.
They claimed that I gave rice to some people and have even given the list where they mentioned that I gave people certain allocation, including the former SSG, Alhaji Aliyu Ahmed Nahuche. His name was in the list and many people Know that there was nothing like that. So if anybody says I diverted grains, you know that it’s not true.
The same thing, if you look at the list they shared in the social media where they accused me of diversion of funds, you will discover that the date which they said I diverted the money is yet to come. For example, in their list, they stated that I siphoned money in August 2021 and the date is yet to come.
If you look at the Calibre of people that are sharing those distortions you will understand that they were paid to do it. They don’t have an insight on the finances of the board. They are neither in the finance department, nor in the administration department. So they just sat down, concocted something and started sharing it. That all they did. And those young men that are doing this are only destroying their future.
I believe they are known by the people as bad eggs in the public. Nobody will want his son to associate with them. People know them. They only want see themselves riding expensive cars. You know the people that buy cars for them and you don’t want your child to associate with them. So, that is the reality and that is why they were sharing these things.
Our people were so worried and wanted to me to react and I asked them to react for what? Those chaps are not my mates as such I don’t need to respond to what they are saying. That was why I ignored them.
I don’t know how to react to somebody who said that I siphoned money in the future. In August they said I siphoned money and the month is yet to come.
I have the records of all my financial transactions during my stay in the Zakat and Endowment Board. I have all the records and the board also has the records. I tried to make my own personal copies. I have them in my custody.
Let me tell you, I have already anticipated all those things by the time I declared my intention to contest for senatorship position because I know what politics is all about in this era. Some politicians think that one can only be a politician if he can tell lies against opponents.
I don’t want to be telling lies simple because I want to contest and I don’t bother about those politicians who tell lies against their opponents as a weapon of getting elective offices. I will continue with my marketing strategy.
After all, I am not so desperate on this. It is the people’s interest. If I get it it’s the people’s mandate and I believe that if I get it, it is going to be for the people’s benefit. So, that is my hope.
