2019 Keffi East Constituency Election: I Did Not Step Down For Engr. Yahaya Wada Or Anybody, I Am In Fully In The Race-Hon Bala Mulki

An aspirant for the position of Keffi East Constituency in the Nasarawa House of Assembly, Bala Ibrahim Mulki has said he didn’t step down for Engr. Wada or any person and that he will not step down for any person whatsoever, he also reels out what he intends to do if elected. He speaks to Universal Reporters.

The Excerpts

A Brief Introduction of yourself

My name is Bala Ibrahim Mulki from Keffi Local Government, Nasarawa State, and an aspirant for Keffi East Constituency, for the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.

From your introduction, you have already told us that you are an aspirant for the House of Assembly seat for your constituency, what is your aim of seeking to run for the office.

I have so many reasons why I want to contest because since I graduated from the higher institution, I have been on my own,  I have been following issues of politics though I have involved myself fully into my businesses, in our house, we are politically oriented.  For instance my father gave his life for the people, he struggled for the people, and he was a man of the people, whatsoever that is good for the people, he will make sure he caters for them and that is why we want to make sure that we followed that Channel that he started, so we want to come into politics and make our people be self-reliance, be established, be able to be on their own and do what is best for themselves and not to rely on Government.

Like me for instance, since I finished, I established so many things for myself, I have so many businesses to my name, Car business, Car Washing business, block molding, real estate business and others. I have trained many young persons; I also have over 150 staffs working for me. So, I discovered that joining politics with my wealth of experience in business will help me and help my people because I will use my political connections and influence to get things done for my people both outside my state and the country for the betterment of my people.

Do you have the support of your people?

Yes, I have the full support and backing of my people. They were even the ones that have been calling me to come to represent them. Even most times they have said that I am afraid of joining politics, but I told them no, I am just waiting for the right time to join. For instance during the last General election in 2015, I received many calls from my people to join politics and represent them, but I told them to wait, that I am preparing and that when I am ready, I will tell them, that is why this time around I have decided to answer to their calls and I will make sure that that call I didn’t fail them, this is because four years is like Four days, if you do good, you will see good again.

Can you tell us your contributions toward your people?

I have done a lot for my people, for instance, when I started the issue of land business, I used it to help them, that when you buy, we allow you to pay in instalments so when you pay N10, 000 we show you the land give you the land documents and you begin to pay in instalments until you finish paying. You can even pay in a period of ten months and this has made many of people happy, we have also constructed so many culverts and local bridges within the areas where these lands are situated to help those acquired these lands to be able to have access to them. Through the land purchases from different individuals and organizations, there are more developments coming into our area. I have been training so many young persons in so many businesses of mine while working in my businesses, so many of them have been trained in schools and have graduated from higher institutions.

Won’t you forget your people, after they have given you their mandate?

No, I cannot forget my people, because there are many ways, I will use to bring developments and empowerment to them. I will involve so many organizations both Government and non-governmental ones to help in empowering my people. Through my efforts, if am elected, I will help my people to embark on different empowerments which will include skills and acquisitions in order for them to have that knowledge and established what has impacted into themselves. For instance, in terms of furniture makings, we can train these youths in places like Dubai and other areas and they will start to produce and sells here, from that they will establish and become an employer of labor, others will be trained in modern Block making, welding and others. So, I cannot forget my people, because if I forget my people, four years is like four days, I will come back again to demand their votes, by then they won’t answer me because in my first tenure I never did anything.

Are you aware that Engineer Mohammed Yahaya Wada a former commissioner of Works and Transport under current Government has resigned his position and his reason for resignation is because he wants to contest for the same seat that you have also indicated interest in running for, are you not perturbed?

I am aware that he has resigned, and that he wants to contest for the same position, but am not perturbed or afraid of him joining the race, because it is only God who gives power. Even him maybe being a former Commissioner will not deter us or makes us be afraid, for instance, our former governor in the person of Aliyu Akwe Doma now late contested as incumbent but lost to the current governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. So, whatever he has, or whatever he is will not make us to be afraid or stepped down for him for any reason at all.

There is this rumour going around that you have agreed to step down for him, is it true, have stepped down for him?

I have not stepped down for him or any persons and the truth is this, I am not stepping down for any person, either him or another person.

So, was there any move by for you to step down?

He came and told me that his people are calling on him to contest and that he cannot do anything without telling me, that I am his younger brother and that I have always been obedient to him. The thing about this is a matter of time and people, they are the ones that will decide, I am not the one that will challenge him, it is the people that will determine.  But when he left my meeting with him, we and start broadcasting that I have decided to step down, that I am joining heads together with him. I never told him that, that is all lies.  I didn’t tell anybody that I am stepping down. I only told him that we should fear Allah and all of us that want to contest should know that it is only one person that will emerge at the end of the day. But at the end of the day, different stories are going around the town that I have agreed to step down or I have stepped down when I have not.

So, what is your advice to your people?

My advice to my people is for everyone to calm down and to know that what is your own is your own. Whatsoever that is going to happen, I am still in the race, I am not stepping down for anybody or joining heads with any person. We are not doing any compromise for anybody. They should be law-abiding and prayerful because whatever you doing, you need to be prayerful let God choose the best for you.