By Rilwan Muhammad
In the politics of this day and age when a sizeable number of those at the wheel – the privileged position – sail briskly their boats without regard for their passengers, people usually get forced onward to gang against the sailors; for, the latter have given the impression that consideration of the interests of the former is not a thing worth doing.
With the avalanche of experiences people of this country have of different leaders and their styles, it is difficult to quickly give the surmisal that electing a leader is one cakewalk chore.
But sometimes, this rather challenging task is made easy where one has a dossier of the people vying for the named elective post.
Through keeping track of the activities of those occupying key positions, one gets the idea that there are indeed good leaders, whose primal concern is that which has direct bearing on improving the quality of lives of the very people they lead.
Such is the story of young but vibrant Malam Zahraddeen Abubakar who, for the past two decades, has been involved in different escapades of bringing forth positive development to the people of Gwaram Local Government, unlike others that get carried away by sheer grandeur of occupying a position and hardly record a success or two.
University sojourn and its accompanying torrents of chores are enough to stop one from having one’s hand in other pies, but that did not stop Malam Zahraddeen from participating actively in campus unionism, where he held different positions, notable among which include:
1. President Gwaram Local Government Students’ Association in 2005.
2. Electoral Committee Chairman Gwaram Local Government Students’ Association, between 2006 and 2007.
3. Chairman Constitution Committee of Gwaram Local Government Students’ Association.
4. Secretary National Association of Science Students (NASS), BUK Chapter in 2004.
5. PRO National Association of Jigawa State Students, National Body, between 2005 and 2006.
6. Chairman Magazine Production and Publication Committee of National Association of Jigawa State Students in 2006.
During his stint as President Gwaram Students’ Association, Zahraddeen was determined in fulfilling the promises he made, and this saw the realisation of the following:
1. Payment of Monthly Allowance to indigenous students of Gwaram Local Government; a program that lasted for some years before its cessation following the ascension of new government in the local government.
2. Organising JIGAWA WEEK, wherein a maiden students’ magazine was launched.
3. Procurement of land for the construction of National Secretariat of Jigawa State Students’ Association.
4. Distribution of books and other writing materials to schools across the state.
5. Tour to schools across the state with the idea of finding the problems of the schools and charting out solutions to stem their tide.
6. Organising public lectures whose themes centred on improving the quality of education in Jigawa state.
Soon after putting university behind his back, Malam Zahraddeen took interest in joining politics.
Although he was in the political space of the state since 2003, he became active in 2007 when he was entrusted with the huge responsibility of leading the youth of Jigawa, a position he held until 2011 when he was elected as APC Youth Leader North West Zone and also interim APC Youth Leader Northwest Zone between 2013 and 2014.
At a time, he was appointed Secretary Kaduna state CPC Congress where he was part of the delegation that covered the state Assembly’s, House of Representatives’, Senatorial and Gubernatorial elections.
Shortly after that assignment, he was appointed Member Renewal Committee of APC.
Prior to the merger of the then opposition parties, Zahraddeen was appointed Member Contact and Mobilisation Committee of CPC.
In the 2011 general elections, he was the Returning Agent of president Buhari in Jigawa State.
With these and many accomplishments, the good people of Gwaram Local Government felt convinced of the capability and competence of Malam Zahraddeen Abubakar and so pleaded that he contest for the seat of member State House of Assembly, a position he contested but as Allah had predestined it, the election did not go in his favour.
But that became a turning point in his political career. Upon assumption of office as Jigawa state governor in 2015, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar appointed Zahraddeen Abubakar as Chairman Jigawa State Scholarship Board.
In 2018, he was in Kano, Jigawa and some other states discharging his duties as Secretary of APC Congress in the states.
At the national politics, he was again appointed member Contact and Mobilisation Committee on Presidential Elections in 2019.
By dint of his acumen, diligent discharge of responsibilities shouldered on him, Governor Badaru, pleased with the demonstration of political propriety by this vibrant young man, made him his Special Assistant on Basic Education and also member Jigawa State Empowerment Committee; positions Zahraddeen holds till date.
Convinced by Malam Zahraddeen’s sheer display of competence, the leadership of the ruling party in the state, APC, unanimously agreed to give ticket to Malam Zahraddeen Abubakar to contest in the forthcoming chairmanship elections in the state.
Going by the achievements recorded by this gem of rarity, it will be safe to say that the net the good people of Gwaram Local Government set on its sea has caught the promising and the biggest of all fishes.
The decision of fishing or not fishing it now lies in the cold, gentle hands of Gwaram people. But knowing the clear foresight they have, one had best put one hand atop the other to produce a sound, melodious clap; for, they have already made up their minds to elect MALAM ZAHRADEEN ABUBAKAR as their Chairman come the chairmanship elections.
If Malam Zahraddeen, could achieve the things he did at a time he was only a student, what would one think of the achievements he will record and the positive development he will bring forth to his people in such a capacity as Chairman of the Local Government!
His plans and development agenda for Gwaram are a number, and only electing him will surface them.
In Malam Zahraddeen, we see a leader with all the requisite hallmarks of changing the political landscape of Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State to that, which the people will appreciate and welcome with every glee.
Rilwan Muhammad can be reached via reedwandk@gmail.com
07061124918
