Dogara’s 16-Year Effective Representation: A Clarion Call For His Successor To Emulate Him
By John Murai Bauchi
As a devoted Christian, the book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 clearly teaches that there is time for everything.
This aforementioned sentence vividly depicts and defines my write up regarding one of our finest in Bogoro, Dass, Tafawa Balewa local government areas and by extension Bauchi state, Rt. Hon. Dogara Yakubu CFR, the Speaker of the 8th house of representatives.
This write up seeks to unveil some developmental strides of the former Speaker Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara who stepped out of the green chamber after sixteen years of effective representation (a piece that was supposed to be written by either some of his aides, former aides or those that benefited directly from the large magnanimity and financial support of the former speaker).
Born on the 26th December, 1967, to the family of late Baba Yakubu Ganawuri and Mama Saratu (still alive) of Gwarangah community in Bogoro local government area, little did they and the entire people of Bogoro local Government area and beyond thought that the little Dogara would grow to maturity and become a national figure in Nigeria and the world.
As a lawyer by profession from the prestigious University of Jos, Plateau state, Dogara Yakubu’s political career started when he was appointed a personal assistant to the former Minister of state Transportation Hon. Habibu Shaibu Ningi.
Dogara Yakubu then contested the house of representatives on the platform of the PDP in 2007 and won, defeating the then Mallam Isa Yuguda’s political hurricane of the defunct ANPP.
Since then the former Speaker has been in the green chamber up to 2015 when he was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) due his political feud with the then Governor Mallam Isa Yuguda and eventually become the Speaker of the 8th house of representatives which was keenly contested between him and the immediate past Speaker Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila.
What however caught my attention and necessitated this write up is nothing but the sterling performances of Dogara Yakubu in his sixteen years of representation (2007 to 2023).
Though I am not his aide and have never been one. Besides we even share different opinions and political affiliation but as the son of the soil, honor should be given to whom honor is due for posterity purposes and to call on his successor to emulate him.
During the period under review, Dogara facilitated the execution of many developmental projects in his constituency, Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro local government areas, Bauchi state, the North-East and Nigeria as a whole.
Worthy of mention was his ability to ensure the rehabilitation of the Bauchi to Kabwir in Plateau state Federal road which was hitherto in shambles.
Through his various empowerment programs Dogara Yakubu open up the three local government areas to the world for local, national and international businesses as youth and women under his empowerment programs benefited from cash support, motor vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles, sewing machines, knitting and other startup parks for sustainable growth and development.
Under his constituency projects Dogara Yakubu facilitated the construction of Bogoro, Badagari, Gobbiya, Dull to Burga linking the two local Government areas of Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa, if connected with the over 58km Burga to Yelwan Duguri road project constructed by Governor Bala Mohammed it will no doubt boost economic and agricultural activities in the four local Government areas of Bogoro, Tafawa Balewa, Alkaleri and Bauchi.
In Dass local Government area, Dogara Yakubu facilitated the construction of Tudun Wus to Baraza road project with the famous Baraza Bridge also constructed.
Representative Yakubu Dogara opened up rural communities in his constituency using the federal Ministry of agriculture’s rural road project to create access roads and water projects to many communities.
During his tenure earth Dams were constructed to boost irrigation and dry farming season, thereby creating job opportunities to the teeming youth in the areas.
This is aside from schools, hospitals, federal establishments and job opportunities to many graduates.
As a human being Dogara Yakubu has his shortcomings but one thing you cannot take away from him is his effective and efficient representation in the sixteen years of being in the green chamber.
Coming from a minority tribe (the Zaar Sayawa ethnic nationality) of Bauchi state, Dogara Yakubu aside from late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first and only Prime Minister, become the second individual to occupy the exalted position of the number four citizens of the country from the Northeast sub-region, followed by the immediate past Senate President Sen. Ahmad Lawan (who was the number three) and the now Vice President Kashim Shettima (as the number two citizen) what a honor and privilege.
As a strong advocates for reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery of the North East sub region ravaged by insurgency, Yakubu Dogara stooped down from his exalted position of the speaker 8th house of representatives to move a motion for the establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) which is no doubt impacting positively on the lives of the people.
With all this laudable achievements which I only paraphrased in my capacity as a journalist and son of the soil without any body’s inputs or influences; it was expected that pages of newspapers would be agog with various tributes as one of our finest exit the national assembly after sixteen years of effective representation (Only a group called G16 group of Bogoro, Dass and Tafawa Balewa federal constituency issued a four paragraph statement or so).
Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has left a vacuum that would be very difficult to fill as I called on his successor to emulate him by promoting Detribalise policies and programs that would further unite the people.
John Murai
Writes from Bauchi