Hon. Adam Saba: Education is getting serious attention in my constituency…

Interview with Hon. Adam Saba, Member Representing Edumoro/Pategi Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Winner of the 2023 Elections

Question 1
Who is Hon. Adam Saba, and how has representing your constituency been so far?

I am Hon. Adam Saba, a member representing Moro/Shunga/Pategi Federal Constituency in Kwara State. I was born and raised in Shunga, Edu Local Government. I started my education at Central Primary School, Shunga, then went to Old Government Secondary School, Shunga. After that, I attended the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.

I’m also a farmer, focusing mainly on rice production.

I contested for the Federal House of Representatives seat to represent the good people of Edumoro/Pategi in the 2023 elections.

To be honest, since I started this journey serving the country, this has been one of the toughest tasks. Serving and representing people is full of challenges. Our country’s economy has been struggling due to global factors including a recession, which has made things harder. We face challenges like poor infrastructure, insecurity, and the overall welfare of our citizens.

It’s a huge responsibility to constantly push motions, bills, and lobby for the people of Edu Moro/Pategi.

It’s not easy. I often have sleepless nights, traveling from place to place, representing Nigeria at various programs. For example, by the end of September, I will be in Kigali and also in Ukraine, all on official duties.

Balancing this with family life is another challenge. Since I assumed this seat, it has not been easy at all. Many people don’t understand the processes involved in Nigerian governance.

Question 2
What was the condition of infrastructure, education, and healthcare in your constituency before your tenure, and how have these sectors improved since you took office?

We thank God and the governor of Kwara State who has been very supportive of education. Since 2019, the government has actively used intervention funds from the Universal Basic Education program and support from the Federal Ministry of Education to improve primary schools — building classrooms, providing seating, and recruiting teachers.

My office has supported this work by facilitating about six blocks of classrooms already, with another ten on the way to my constituency this season.

Secondary education has also seen improvements. For instance, I helped facilitate the full renovation of the Government Secondary School Shunga through an intervention by the Secondary School Commission.

So education is getting serious attention in my constituency.

We have also supported over 300 students financially for JAMB registration, contributing about 100,000 naira, and helped less privileged students who wish to write WASSCE.

I believe there is clear progress in education in the Edumoro/Pategi Federal Constituency.

Question 3
Now two years into your service, do you believe you have effectively fulfilled your legislative responsibilities and delivered on your campaign promises to the people of Edumoro/Pategi?

Thank God, I’m not the best judge of myself, but I can say I have done a lot to meet the needs and requests of my people. I have actively moved motions and lobbied for job opportunities and other support for them.

At the end of the day, it’s the people who will judge my performance.

But I assure you, I’ve given my best effort to do what is necessary for my constituents. Thank you very much.

Question 4
As Chairman of the Nigeria-Beijing Parliamentary Friendship Group, what are your key objectives, and what have you achieved since taking office?

As Chairman, my main goal is to strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and Beijing by promoting cooperation in areas like trade, culture, education, and technology. Since I took office, we have worked on building stronger ties through regular exchanges and dialogue between our parliamentarians and those in China.

We’ve also facilitated several partnerships that could open up opportunities for investments and development projects beneficial to Nigeria. These efforts are aimed at creating job opportunities and boosting economic growth back home.

It’s ongoing work, but I’m proud of the progress we’ve made so far, and I’m committed to deepening this friendship for the benefit of both countries.

Yeah, thank you very much.

Regarding the Friendship Group, I want to emphasize that this committee is important. I served as the leader of the committee, and we were able to establish relationships with the General Parliament, the EU Parliament, and the Belgian Parliament. These are the three parliaments we engage with. We discussed issues related to education, health, and infrastructure development between the two countries.

The Embassy of Belgium and this office have a good relationship. We have represented Nigeria in Belgium through the Nigeria-Belgium Business Talk, while representing Mr. Speaker at the business forum in Belgium. There, we discussed agriculture and industrialization, focusing particularly on cooperatives and the issue of post-harvest loss in Nigeria.

We extensively discussed post-harvest loss and proposed solutions such as improved storage facilities and ways to support farmers through cooperatives and other means. In fact, this committee has real work to do in bringing many benefits to the country. You may have heard the Minister of Education and the Minister of Industry and Trade talk about how Nigeria is committed to minimizing post-harvest losses for farmers.

We are working on cooperation agreements, including how to handle perishables and packaging. These discussions and initiatives were part of the Nigeria-Belgium Business Forum.

What is the most daunting challenge in your political career so far?

I am a Muslim, and we always believe and have faith that whatever we achieve is what God has given us. The challenge I face now is the lack of security in my area, where the lives and property of my people have been lost to banditry and kidnapping, which is escalating every day. The number of kidnappings is increasing, and there are casualties during the process as the kidnappers and security forces exchange gunfire. This is one of the major challenges we have.

Another challenge is that we mobilize our people to farm, and they invest a lot in farming activities, particularly growing food that is very expensive. However, the price of food crashes, which makes consumers happy, but the producers in the country suffer huge losses. We need the federal government to address the cost of farming inputs such as fertilizers, chemicals, and others so that our brothers and sisters can remain in farming. The government should not allow circumstances that negatively affect my people’s livelihoods from farming.

What’s your relationship with the governor of your state? And how would you rate his performance compared to his counterparts?

The governor of my state, Mallam Abraman Abrazach, is our political leader. In fact, during his six years in office from 2013 to 2019, I have never seen a governor perform like him. Workers’ salaries are paid on time, allowances are given promptly, and employment is well-managed. He has done wonderfully in health, road infrastructure, schools, and agriculture. He is an achiever, and we are proud of him.

My relationship with the governor is very cordial, and we thank God for that. It is a teamwork, as we are in the same political party. In the 2023 election, all the state assembly members, six national assembly members, and three senators are from the APC, including our governor. It is a joint ticket, and he is doing very well. I recall I said that my activities and commitments are in support of our governor; we I fully support what he is doing.

As a federal lawmaker, do you think the government has done enough to help the youth harness their potential for the economic advancement of the nation?

Yes, very well. If you study President Tinubu’s agenda, you will see activities focused on youth empowerment and youth employment. We are now talking about job opportunities in immigration, civil defense, fire services, and many other sectors—not just limited to those. The army, police, and other parts of the economy are recruiting and empowering youth in agriculture, industrialization, and more.

Students at universities are now able to take loans starting in their second year, and they receive funds to pay off previous years’ expenses. These student loans mean no one should complain about lack of money for education anymore, and repayment starts when they begin working, which was not the case before. The youth have become major beneficiaries of government policies. We thank President Tinubu for these initiatives.

The challenge is that since the subsidy removal, some people expected miracles overnight. But it is a process. It may be difficult for now, but we will get there.

As a visionary leader and astute politician, where do you see the political pendulum swinging in 2027?

I am a member of the APC, and I continue to believe that APC will keep leading this country. Recent rerun elections show APC winning the majority of held seats, and many campaigns are happening in favor of APC. We have hope and assure Nigerians that we will continue to grow this country, even before 2027. Our party’s blueprint will be fully implemented.

What’s your comment on the ongoing security challenges facing our nation? Do we need foreign support to eradicate terrorism?

Based on my experience in design management, if we put our house in order, we may not need foreign support because we have the army, police, civil defense, local vigilantes, and the State Security Service. We also have traditional rulers who control access in and out of their communities. In the past, traditional rulers managed security at the local level, a practice we should revisit and empower them as chief security officers in their areas. They have the power to maintain order in the bush.

To eradicate insecurity, it is not only about guns; it is also about negotiation. The people involved are Nigerians. We should seek ways to negotiate and end the violence. Bandits and kidnappers strike before the military can reach them because it is guerrilla warfare, not direct combat where you meet face-to-face. It happens in remote areas, often at odd hours. I suggest using both traditional methods and modern weaponry to solve the security problem.

We are 65 years as a country, yet we have not fully achieved the dreams of our nationalists like other nations have. What is the best solution to revitalize Nigeria and help her join the community of technologically developed nations?

My brother, what are the dreams and what have we not achieved? Nigeria is the best in Africa and one of the best in the world. The only challenge is coordination and connectivity. Nigerians excel everywhere—in the military, cybersecurity, medicine, and infrastructure development. The challenge lies in management among us.

I call for liberty everywhere in Nigeria. To be Nigerian is to achieve excellence. I am a farmer and I see the food being produced, especially around Jos. The rice we eat isn’t bad. Even the president encouraged brown rice during the recession. Some of the food we consume is produced here. If we start farming seriously and reorient ourselves, realizing we are not members here to steal money but to contribute, we can talk about industrialization meaningfully.

When you visit the U.S. or Europe, things may seem more advanced only because they are better organized. I have been to London and other places, and the only thing Nigeria truly lacks compared to them is per capita income. Nigeria itself is not cheap. We are working hard in parliament to oversee the executive and ensure welfare and security for everyone in the country.

Government provides the environment; for example, the Bank of Agriculture is capitalized. Farmers can open accounts, get loans, and repay them. But if farmers do not repay loans, it affects progress. We must all change our attitude, leaders and followers alike.

Before I took this seat, I served about 26,000 farmers. Most did not repay their loans, yet they blame government. Our founding fathers faced fewer population challenges; now, Nigeria’s population is over 230 million, compared to just a few million then. The population growth is a big challenge.

In Islam, it is said that where people gather, God is present. So, everyone, including journalists, must take responsibility instead of blaming others. Clergy should preach generosity and fairness. The rich should care for the poor to reduce insecurity. No one is fully secure or well off yet.

We must share resources and push for industrialization to do more. If you are appointed or employed, do your duty and trust the process. These are my views.

Talking about fairness, what would your constituency expect from you in the next legislative term?

They expect me to provide oversight and legislate on issues that concern them, especially security. While it is difficult to achieve everything due to the country’s economic situation, they want continued representation to complete the projects already started. My people expect progress on roads like Sharia, Patimuru, Sugar Road, rural electrification, and other infrastructure. They want these laws implemented by the Executive Council.

Thank you.