It was Harry S. Truman who said; “Men make history and not the other way round.”
In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better. Great men appear now and again to help shape the course of human history. I am not talking to, know anybody else than the person the people of Kaduna state call and refer him as “Mr. White”-Dr Matoh Dari Dogara is a symbol of peace to him, white connotes peace, a color he adores and have as part of his style of life. White translate the nature of his personality, of a peace lover.Dr Dogara has an unprecedented History to the entire people of Lere East and the entire Kaduna state.
The appearing of this man of at a passionate spirit of the scene of Lere LGA politics around 1999 has convinced everyone that the captain of the ship no other person than MD,a visionary leader that have the wherewithal to deliver the land the is suffering from a poor act of leadership.
MD as his popularly known and called, had his first political assignment as a care taker chairman of Lere LGA where he credibly performed well in the area of electrification, provision of water, employment generation within a short period of stay in the office, in one of his speech, he said “my mandate is let peace reign in my land, security, harmony, good governance, development and progress.
Indeed you don’t need a title to be a leader all you need to have is to know the way, goes the way, and shows the way. With no or little title MD was able to find a path to his destiny.
His Background
Hon Dogara Matoh Dary was born 14th sept,1968 to the family of Mallam Dogara Dary.The family lived in kerau a stone, straw village from Garun Kurama(about 2km) in Lere local Government. His father was a renowned farmer whose has an excellent hubby to see a child grow up to be better in the society .This trade of quality of Mallam Dogara saw Young Matoh through the hard way the only way to his great destiny. An attitude which became an in-build to Hon.Matoh that differentiates his kind of nature from his siblings and peers which which later became a strong virtue of leadership for him.On that day, the birth of Hon MD in the entire land of Kerau was believed that a strange and mighty object exploded and shook the clouds to the entire land. On January 1980 young Dogara was taken by his father to central primary school Garun Kurama, Matoh started school at Garun Kurama and got as far as standard Six at the same central primary School, Garun Kurama. After backing his first school leaving certificate, he immediately in rolled as a student in Tafawa Balewa Memorial College, Samarun Kataf, in 1985 backed his GCE with flying colors. With a historic award for the best graduating student in Mathematics. A visionary leader who is always wanting to have the capacity to translate vision into reality and his first cardinal responsibility as a leader is to define reality the last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant. In 1986 Dogara Been destined by God, he orchestrated his path to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a B.Sc Physics, 2nd class upper division (Hons), being in love to serve his fatherland he went for the mandatory youth service in 1989/90 where h taught physics at Government Senior Science Secondary School,Obubra cross Rivers state. A leader is not complete except he has the divined call, in preparation for his calling the determinant spirit of leadership pushed him to go for his M.Sc Applied Geophysics in 1996. With plans to lead his people to a great destiny it seems to him a challenge to have a higher qualification, Matoh later backed a PhD in Applied Geophysics from the prestigious and premier University, ABU.
THE RISING OF A GREAT POLITICIAN
Before venturing into politics the promising future of his present political achievement is never complete if his past achievement as a teacher and lecturer in the Academic cycle is not part of the story of this great man. If you call Matoh a fulfilled academician who start from a class teacher to a lecturer in Kaduna state college of Education Kafachan in Physics department, was in the department of Applied Science, college of science and Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic. The ambitious scientist who always wants to dare the impossible, he ended up being a University Don in Ahmadu University Zaria where held positions both at academics and administrative level, he was an active lecturer with so many articles written to his credits, prominent amongst the articles are;
· The role of Geophysics on the possibilities of geothermal energy in Africa
· Resistivity Investigation of the Groundwater potential of Romi,Kaduna Nigeria
· The content available of copper and manganese in soils under continuous cultivation in the kubani Basin Kaduna state.
· Continuous cultivation and micronutrient fertility of Nigeria soil, Unexposed Younger Granite suites of Central Nigeria and Basement structure in kuri River.
Dr MD as at the time of his resignation as a lecturer in ABU he became the youngest PhD holder in Geophysics with many Published Thesis. These are some of the thesis published by the Kurama young Doctor
· Quantification of soil samples around the centre for Energy research and training,Radio transmission and reception at plateau Radio and Television Jos.
· Direct current Receptivity Investigation of the groundwater potential,Romi chikun Local Government ,Kaduna state
· Geophysical Investigation of the Hydro geological potentials of the kuri River Basin, Lere-kauru Areas,Kaduna state.
These are few of his Academics records, because of his dogged fight and hard work Matoh was taken so many responsibilities on none academics status. He was the assistant Department Examination officer in the department of physics in ABU, The departmental Representative to the faculty board of Agriculture in ABU Zaria, department secretary to department meetings, coordinator of 100 level physics laboratory and final assistant orientation officer faculty of science in ABU
MATOH AS ACOMMUNITY SERVANT:
Dr MD was a true community leader whose believe is to come closer to your own immediate kinsmen and community to help and support for a way forward for faster growth, in uniting the entire people to broker peace in any needed time. He served as member; a Kurama Chiefdom Reconciliatory committee by the Kaduna state Government. The initiator a 7km road from Garunn Kurama to Kerau, in his hunger to help his community in the slightest opportunity, though a lawmaker with many Bills sponsor by him and awaiting to become laws,with his forecast wisdom he brought about the road under construction from Garun Kurama to the hinterland of Piriga chiefdom the road that was known to be a death trap but now linking many communities of the area. The idea of that road has since become an economy booster of the entire land of Lere LGA. To prove to his electorate that indeed is a true son of the soil, he became more in hard working by providing them with many community social services, scholarship was given to many deserving students, Bore-holes were constructed jobs were created as a result of him being in the house. These were duties outside his constituency assignment as a lawmaker.
MATOH: MAN OF MANY AWARDS
Being a true politician of the generality of the people who’s backed an award as the ambassador of peace by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) youth wing 2009 an award of Africa Leadership Merit Award 2009 was given to him an award that is mainly to appreciate the people with genuine qualities of leadership. He also earned an award for the conference of the deputy speakers’ state house of assembly, Best Mathematics Final year students, Tafawa Balewa Memorial College, Samara, Kataf, 1985. Best Final Year student, Department of physics Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Also, he won an Allied Industries prize winner in 1989
MATOH DOGARA CLIMBING THE LADDER OF GREATNESS
In 2002-2004 a vacuum was created in Lere LGA on who will be the sole administrator, the good people of Lere LGA beckoned Hon Matoh to be the sole administrator of the council an office he held with high level of prudency and accountability with many notable and recorded achievement, though a political appointment but the trusted Dogara did not dare to temper with the coffers of the LGA council, immediately finishing his tenure as the sole administrator of the council it was done to many people in the area that a promising child of necessity has come to change the land that was mortgaged for so long because of wrong people were given the mandate and were ruling with all sense of carelessness.
The people of Kubau spotted Matoh and they begged the then Governor of Kaduna State, Alh.Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi to release Matoh for them to handle the local council even if is for a year as the secretary, Dr Matoh was in Kubau LGA from 2004-2005 and he performed more than people’s expectations. That service added feather to his cap of many colorful feathers, Governor Makirfi see the Gifting in him and gave him the Ministry of Science and Technology from June 2005 -October 2007.He was a special adviser (Development of Renewable Energy and Executive officer,KAPGENCO ) September 2007.
A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. It was in 2007, after much demand from his kinsmen in Lere east constituency of the Kaduna state house of Assembly called him for a better representation after much failure from the past immediate representative. Hon Matoh gallantly won the 2011 election with a wide margin, been his first time as a lawmaker, smartly, as he was, he worked his way and became the Deputy speaker of the house an office he held until 2013 that were mischievous removed by cabals believed to might have been sponsored from a very powerful politician in Abuja simply because he did not earn their loyalty.
Still keep to fate and what he called” posterity will judge me if I can’t do what I am called to do to my people”, as a leader of his people Matoh became the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if he had no title or position because leadership is all about influence, whose style of leadership is not by pointing and telling people some place to go. He led by going to that place and making a case, these were still the great and anointed abilities the people of Lere east saw on him again and requesting him not to be tired, from 2011 date Dogara has been a savior there is no better man that can match the size of his shoes in all aspects of the area politics.
MATOH AS THE DEPUTY SPEAKER
At the corridor of power is only those whose heart is towards the common man can have the passion to do what they want them to do because the power can intoxicate, but unlike the great gentleman, leader that thought show his people that their rights and privileges has been messed down by the previous Reps by denying them their right, opened their eyes to understand that they have to question and keep on questioning the people whom they have sent to be their Ambassador. A detribalized man by nature, a gentleman to the core who has a high level of listening ability. In one of speech that celebrate him as a humble man with a spirit of love and unity which stated
“So for those of you whom I may have disappointed, a number of you here wanted so many things from me, but I couldn’t give in spite of my high status, not because I didn’t want to give you, I didn’t have the opportunity to give. But at the same time, those that were able to get, those who didn’t, trust in God. People come to me and I pray for them, I said God you know I cannot do anything for these people but you will do it for them, meet them at the point of their needs.”
MATOH LERE EAST FORWARD LOOKING MESSEAIH
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do, yes it’s just to say the man of the moment has come a long way with wealth of experience to really change the entire Lere east of Kaduna state constituency to a land of beauty an acronym name that has been shifted to dung’s of bad leaders in the state now it can be seen, heard and felt that Dr Matoh Dogara Dari is ready to bring out the lost and blink beauties of our zone, he is just the man right on time ,the man of the true moment, we are saying come again our long awaited messiah to represent us still in the job you know how to do best “Is better to do a welcome back than to afford the pains of getting a new line-Da sabon layi gwamma welcome back”. Lere east is waiting for you don’t fail to come back, if you dare not come we will term you to be an enemy of progress
