BY AMB. COMR. RICHARD AUGUSTINE
It was Booker Washington, an ancient philosopher who once said that “Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way”. Aristotle similarly postulated that, “we are what we repeatedly do, therefore is not an act but habit.
These quotes of wisdom tend to affirm that excellence is inherent in one’s character and manner of not all but those who aim for greatness. (Sen. Dr. Uba Sani Stands and aims for greatness).
Today we identify with one of the Arewa finest, a wole rare breed and quintessential gentleman, a sanctimonious politician, a refined man from sole to crown whose hospitality and humanity exude hope and comfort to the downtrodden. He is a down to earth man and leader par excellence, who cares for his people, a man like us in everything especially in the struggles of life. We have sojourned together through thick and thin and wither through troubles, turbulence,woes and cares of life but kept and uplifted by grace!
In today’s society especially in our country Nigeria it is almost a constant to encounter pitfall and oxbow lakes in the quest for greatness, and the survivors of these challenges have attained the highest level of they could ever imagine with special reference to the historical Area past leaders like the Sir. Ahmadu Bello, Abubakar Tafa Balewa, Maitama Sule, Mal. Amino Kano all of blessed memory to mention a few.
As the valuation of politica holders descends upon us as Civil Societies Organizations and as people of Kaduna State, Northerns and indeed Nigerians. It is important to state without sentiments or favoritism that Sen. Dr. Uba Sani has within the shortest possible time in the red Chambers of the National Assembly proove to be Worthy to be listed amongst one of the best leader in Arewa (Northern Nigeria) in recent times. His educational background and qualifications equipped him to understand the very many challenges bedeviling the Northern Nigeria. His Passion for humanity and quest to bring succor and make life easy for his people brought him into leadership and saw him through to the Senate as a Senator Representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District. To addressing the very many challenges which ranges from Poverty, Insecurity, Lack of Education, Inadequate Health care facility and Joblessness. Little wonder did – Confucius asserted that Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.
The quintessential Politician within two years in the red Chambers broke a record that bite the imagination of a lot of people including the United States Senate that had to award him with a leadership and humanity service award.
– Malcolm X reaffirmed Confucius assertions and added that; Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. Distinguish Senator Uba Sani is putting so much commitment, resources to safeguard the future of our children and prepare them to compete favorably.
It is important also to list a few of the of his achievements in proportionate response to the challenges of his people.
For the avoidance of doubt, the FOB have provided us the leverage for facts findings
Below are some of the bills Senator Dr Uba Sani Sponsored within the period under review
LIST OF BILLS AND PROGRESSION SPONSORED BY SENATOR UBA SANI (Kaduna Central)
- Federal College of Education, Giwa Kaduna State (Est, Etc) Bill 2019 (SB. 121)
The Bill was sponsored in realization of the fact that the crisis in the education sector cannot be effectively tackled if priority attention is not given to the production of professional and quality teachers. The Bill has scaled through 1st and 2nd Reading at the Senate. On the 9th day of March 2019, constituents and key stakeholders from Giwa joined Senator Uba Sani at the public hearing on the bill, which was organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund. The Bill passed Third Reading at the Senate on 15th July 2020 and was read for the first time in the House of Representatives on 3rd December 2020. The Bill now awaits the concurrence of the House of Representatives before it will be transmitted to the President for assent. - Federal Medical Centre Rigassa, Kaduna State (Est., Etc.) Bill 2019 (SB.169)
This Bill was sponsored in response to the cries of constituents, especially those in densely populated area who daily watch helplessly as women and children die due to lack of well equipped healthcare centres. The institution will provide services in specialized areas like Neuro-surgery, Cardiology, Urology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Internal Medicine, Radiotherapy, Ear, Nose and Throat Treatment (ENT), Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and other fields of medicine that may be required by Nigerians. On the 18th day of February 2019, constituents and key stakeholders from Rigasa joined Senator Uba Sani at the public hearing on the bill, which was organized by the Senate Committee on Health. The Bill passed Third Reading at the Senate on 3rd December 2020 and now awaits the concurrence of the House of Representatives before it will be transmitted to the President for assent. - Banks and Other Financial Institutions (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Act 2020
The Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2004 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2019 (SB.178), which was sponsored to reinvent and reenergize the banking and financial sector in Nigeria, was assented to by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR and as such became a law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 13th November 2020. The new Act updates the existing Act and brings it in line with global best practices. It will enhance the efficiency in the process of obtaining/granting banking licences. It incorporates the laws for enacting, licensing and regulation of Microfinance Banks in the country. It clarifies and delineates the regulatory functions of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the financial services industry. It regulates the activities of Financial Technology Companies (FINTECHs), and imposes stiffer penalties for regulatory breaches in the financial services sector. As President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR noted in his remarks, the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020 is a historic and significant achievement that will enhance the soundness and resilience of Nigeria’s financial system. - Care and Protection of Child Parents Bill 2019 (SB198)
The Bill was sponsored to provide succor to child parents and create a platform where they can be reintegrated into society after child birth and still fulfil their dreams. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Federal College of Forestry, Technology and Research, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State (Est, Etc) Bill 2019 (SB201)
The Bill was sponsored to tap into the potentials of forestry related education in Nigeria. When established, the institution will increase federal presence in such a remote area thereby providing jobs and by extension alleviating poverty. It will also make significant contributions to economic diversification through expanding the frontier of Agro-forestry especially now that cashew, shea butter, mango, guava etc. are becoming prominent in our export and local industrial crops. The Bill has since passed 1st and 2nd Reading at the Senate. - University of Technology Kaduna (Est, Etc) Bill 2019
The Bill seeks to convert Kaduna State Polytechnic into a University, was primarily sponsored in a bid to reposition the institution so it can contribute effectively to the production of skilled manpower needed for Nigeria’s industrialization. The Bill has also passed 1st reading at the Senate. - Institute of Information and Communication Technology Kaduna South (Est., Etc.) Bill 2020 (SB.407)
Sponsored to improve the education standards in Kaduna State in terms of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), as well as place Northern Nigeria in a position to take full advantage of globalization and the emerging digital economy. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Alteration) Bill 2020 (SB. 410)
Sponsored to provide for the appointment of judges by State Governors on the recommendation of the State Judicial Service Commission, in order to aid the speedy dispensation of justice. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Foreign Exchange (Control & Monitoring) Act 2004 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill 2020 (SB. 525)
This Bill was sponsored to bridge the widening gap in exchange rate as well as tackle the issue of rising inflation due to high cost of imports. Cost of goods and services increase because many cost items are incurred at black market rates while foreign currency revenue will be reported at the lower interbank rates resulting in lower tax payments. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Fire Arms Act Cap F28 LFN (Amendment) Bill 2020 (SB. 549)
This Bill seeks to amend the Firearms Act, Cap. F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to amongst other provisions, increase the imposition of fines for offences, provide for the destruction of firearms illegally imported into the country or in possession of individuals without valid license in a bid to build public confidence in the overall efforts targeted at preventing and curtailing the circulation of illegal firearms in the country. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Alteration) Bill 2020 (SB. 550)
This Bill seeks to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to amongst other provisions establish State Police Force in the 36 states of the Federation, change the name of the Police Service Commission to the Federal Police Service Commission, establish the State Police Service Commission and amend the Second and Third Schedules of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - National Human Rights Commission Act (Amendment) Bill 2020 (SB. 551)
This Bill seeks to Alter the National Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Act, 2010, to amongst other provisions include representatives of the youth and Persons with Disability (PWDs) in the composition of the Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission so as to ensure the rights and interests of these categories of persons are adequately represented at the national level. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - NDLEA Act CAP NO.3 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2020 (SB. 582)
This Bill was sponsored to strengthen the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in tackling the growing rate of drug abuse in Nigeria especially in the North and eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting and trafficking of hard drugs. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Police Service Commission Act 2001 (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Bill, 2020 (SB. 594)
This Bill seeks to repeal the Police Service Commission Act 2001 and enact the Federal Police Service Commission (Est. Etc) Bill to amongst other provisions establish a Commission which shall be charged with discipline of all officers except in state police force and to dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over any person holding office in the Nigeria Police Force (other than the inspector-general of police). The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - Nigerian Police Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (SB. 593)
This Bill seeks to alter the Nigeria Police Act 2020 to amongst other provisions establish an operational structure for State Police Force in the 36 states of the Federation, change the name of the Police Service Commission to the Federal Police Service Commission, and address new issues that are not covered under the Nigeria Police Act 2020. The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - State Police Service Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2020 (SB. 595)
This Bill seeks to enact the State Police Service Commission (Est. Etc.) Bill to amongst other provisions establish a Commission which shall be charged with discipline of all officers except in state police force and to dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over any person holding office in the State Police Force (other than the Commissioner of police). The Bill has passed 1st Reading at the Senate. - A motion to establish disease and control center in kaduna.
Senator Uba Sani love and quest to bring quality and affordable education to the door steps of his people is an indication that he has been a good student of leadership, he has followed with total loyalty the foot steps of his principal Mal Nasir Ahmed El-Rufil a leader per excellence, a transformer, a librator whom God has sent to redeem us from the shackles of corruption, under development and that is why he Senator Uba Sani is achieving such a mile stone even when he receives same salary and allowances as his colleagues. His magnanimity knows no bounds, he path are those that the prophet thought that is why he goes out of his way to do some humanitarian invention in his constituency which also includes
i. An intervention in Birnin yero, the Senator sent a delegation to assist the victims of insurgent attack in the area.
ii. An intervention in wusar where the senator distributed food items and cash to the victims of outbreak of diseas
iii. Recruiting without preference to class or status poor young people to work by setting up an office in each of the seven local governments he needed. First to ever do so.
iv. He is the first to employ ten constituency offices and pay them monthly salaries.
v. He is the first senator to distribute rations of food including cash in over a thousand communities.
vi He is the first senator to offer Scholarship without political involvement in which the schools themselves select 175 hard-working citizens from the 7 local government he represents.
Vii. He secure and supports young people who have received admission abroad.
viii. He has continued to provide support for Quranic studies conducted in many schools.
Xi. He is the first senator to trained and empowered 100 youths who eventually received a hundred thousand naira (#100,000) each as start-up investment plus equipment.
X. Support for the city of Yero where there is a refugee crisis due to insecurity and food shortages.
The senator has and not limited to this:
- 2.1 Billion Naira has been allocated for construction of a complete Faculty of Engineering at the Kaduna State University Site in Igabi Local Government.
- Fisheries empowerment programmes which many constituents from Igabi Local Government has benefited from.
- Poultry empowerment programmes.
- Trainings in Bakery and Confectionery.
- Facilitation of Covid 19 Loan, Agric Loan which has made so many constituents in the 7 Local Government self-reliance or employed.
Very recently there have been intrigues, betrayals, attacks and counter attacks, as well as blackmails here and there in kaduna State by some mischief makers, dangerous and desperate politicians who are hell bent to malign or discredit the Senator, but the forget that an attack to the Senator is an attack to His Excellency Mal. Nasir Ahmed El-Rufia because the Senator works in accordance to the blue print of His Excellency Mal Nasir Ahmed El-Rufia , but one name remains a constant in terms of Consistency and service to humanity. And I am forced to suggest that he suits the description of excellence by Aristotle. That person is no one but ;;;:::
SENATOR. DR. UBA SANI.
Senator Uba Sani enjoyed alot of goodwill starting from children, youth, women, elders and chiefs. About a week ago the youths, women, elders and the chiefs across the 7 local government that make up Kaduna Central Senatorial District relieved and endorse Senator Uba Sani, a feat which did not just come by chance, but an earning deserving due to his antecedents.
A young vibrant man, one might be astonished by his meteoric rise to the top, but like the biblical David, Senator Uba Sani apparently was marked for greatness right from birth, which made him always out standing.
Our call will be for on all irrespective of our affiliation to support the Senator and Mal Nasir Ahmed El-Rufia.
Amb. Comr. Richard Augustine.
Co-Convener/Secretary CSO’s