God’swill Ojodomo
Ankpa Federal Constituency is no doubt one of the oldest Constituencies in the country. Created in 1969, it has thrown up some of her sons and daughters into the highest echelon of legislature.
Since, 1979, when the nation returned to democracy , it has produced no fewer than six of her citizens who have gone to the National Assembly in the Green chamber to wrestle the national cake to the Constituency.
There is no gainsaying that these representatives have not beaten their chests of performance to the constituents. However, the facts remain that their performances were not visible enough to making the electorate to support them for the second term bid.
This account for the return rate of the representatives as none of them enjoyed the second term.
As the people grappled with under representation of their successive Representatives, they had vowed not to toy with their ballots in the last National Assembly election.
They had weighed the candidates of the two major parties APC and PDP in that last National Assembly election and came to conclusion that Hon. Ibrahim Abdullahi Ali (Halims’) was a better candidate considering his prodigy in the state House of Assembly between 2007-2011.
Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Alih, a successful businessman with wide interests in Oil and Gas, Hotels and Tourism and Mining ,demonstrated high level of capacity and competence and empathy in the art of legislation with volumes of Motions and Bills that have direct bearing on the lives of his constituents.,during his tenure in the House of Assembly representing Ankpa 1 Constituency.
No wonder, that on inauguration as member of the 9th National Assembly , he hit the ground running with motions and bills that have the capacity to turn around the fortune of his constituency.
Halims’ does not stop at churning out bills and motions, he added human angle to his Representation.
According to the lawmaker, who in a chat with Treasuretimes recently, he said, despite the challenges of economy and health issues occasioned by Covid 19, he has provided dividend of democracy to the constituents.
“Today I have the record of 45 of our youths who have been gainfully employed in federal government pensionable employments and I have recommended also well over 500 youths for employment in various organisations.
Frankly speaking as a legislator I have no power to employ ,, but I use my connections to facilitate employment for my constituents, despite the embargo on employment, which actually restricted my efforts, I would have attracted between one hundred to two hundred employments for the people.
” However, I have people working in the federal University Lokoja, Federal Polytechnic Idah, NAFDAC, NARSDA; others are engaged at NSCDC, NDLEA, Immigration Service, Correctional Service, infact seven people are working in NNPC and I have also given scholarships to students to study for their Masters and PHD through Petroleum Development Trust Fund. PDTF.
“In terms of empowerment, I have given succours to the youths , market women and those with educational disadvantages. In 2019 over #42Million naira worth of items, such as , keke NAPEP , Motorcycles, Grinding machines , Sewing machines and pumping machines were distributed to every ward in my constituency.
To the farmers , sometimes last year 1,800 bags of fertilizers were distributed and every ward has 25bags to the 34 wards that make up the constituency.
“Recently, I commissioned over 65 motorised boreholes in Ankpa, Olamaboro and Omala LGAs , and also , three months ago i commissioned a 3.5 km earth work in Ankpa, and we are working hard to do the same in Olamaboro and Omala.
Again I enrolled our students for JAMB. And I’m glad to announce that many of them have secured admissions to tertiary institutions and we are planning on how to further assist them.
“Fufilling electoral promises depend on what the people needs , but then, there are things you don’t promise, but are good for your people, you have to go out of your way to do for them. As a legislator, my primary responsibility is to make laws , by way of motions and bills for good governance. I have done over 16 motions that have direct bearing not only to Ankpa, Olamaboro and Omala, but to kogi state and Nigeria as a whole.
*The bills that I have done that have direct impact on my constituency are the construction of Guto- Bagana bridge which I highlighted its over all benefits to my people and the entire country. As I speak, a sub committee has been set up to deal with it. In the health sector , and because of the way my people are exposed to suffering, I have moved a bill which has reached committee of the whole House for the establishment of Federal Medical Center Ankpa.
“Recently again, I moved a bill for the establishment of insurance cover for the Members of National Youth Service corps NYSC who are exposed to danger of accidents, kidnapping and insurgence attacks.
I also moved a bill for intelligence studies to be included in our secondary schools curriculum.
Meanwhile as his tenure winds to a half , The lawmaker used the period of Sallah celebration to hold a maiden midterm report/Town Hall meeting with his constituents, the first of its kind in the history of the Constituency.
He spent two days traversing Omala, Olamaboro and Ankpa to showcase his achievements and charged the people to challenge, suggest and support the successes he has so far recorded.
At the Omala town hall meeting held at Abejukolo, headquarters of the Council, the Paramount Ruler ,Onu-Ife, HRH. Chief Boniface U. Musa, (Ojogba) Chairman of the three Local Government Areas Traditional Council , members of Kogi State House of Assembly, Councilors, opposition leaders and representatives of organized labour were in attendance.
The two days town hall meeting kicked off with a public lecture on “The Workings Of A Legislator” delivered by the Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, Dr Usman Salisu Ogbo, who spoke extensively on the topic.
The train later moved to Okpo, headquarters of Olamaboro Local Government Area, which was well attended by who is who from the area with a lecture: “Conceptualization of Constituency Project” by the Provost of Kogi State College of Education Ankpa, Dr. M. K. Ibrahim before the grand finale took place at Ankpa, headquarters of Ankpa Local Government Area.
Prominent opposition leaders, including the Kogi State Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Hon. Farouk Yahaya declared that the choice of Halims to represent the Constituency in the House of Representatives was not a misplacement priority to Ankpa People”.
The Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and Self Value Orientation, Prince Saleh Yakubu, congratulated the people of Ankpa Federal Constituency for electing a competent hand, like Rep. Halims to represent them at the National Assembly.
In a remark, Hon Ibrahim Abdullahi Alih was elated by the turnout for the two days event of meeting the people thank them for their support and assured them of his determination to improve on his modest contributions to the welfare and wellbeing of the people.
He called on them to keep supporting Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello and President Muhammadu Buhari for the sustenability of the dividend of Democracy.
From all indications, juxtaposing the current global economic challenges and the worthy achievements of Hon. Halims’, his first steps and hitting the ground running, has proven that he is a lawmaker needed for the future, reason why his constituents should rethink him for a second term.
