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Honourable Alade Dantala
Honourable Alade Dantala is largely at the background as a political kingmaker whose interest was to ensure the success for his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview he spoke on his intention to contest for Kokona East Constituency of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly in 2023. Excerpts:
By Francis Nansak
How did you begin your political career?
I actually started politics way back as a student in the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa that was in 2004. I contested then for the position of Secretary, Nasarawa State Students Association, Federal Polytechnic chapter, but couldn’t win. It was here that I was exposed to politics and upon completing my studies, I moved to Abuja. I ‘officially’ became a politician in 2011 in the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) that was before the merger in 2014. Although this is going to be my first time to contest any elective position in a general election seeking to represent my people in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. I have carried out a broad study before I throw myself out for the contest and to be sincere, the people I am seeking to represent are rural dwellers and farmers. These are people that cherish what they do as their means of livelihood, but had been neglected. I became challenged in respect to what their needs are which is farming, whatever you do for them if not farming, they will not understand. So, I intend to go into the race and if God’s willing I am returned elected, the first thing is to look into their areas of need and interest. It is quite unfortunate that these people are left uncared as nobody had ever considered empowering them with the means for modern farming which will be my area of consideration, to empower them with modern farming equipment. And another area of need that must be addressed is women in Kokona East that are very industrious. Majority of them are business women blessed with making of local soap, known in Hausa as Sabulun sollo. This is what these women are used to producing as their means of livelihood. But they need to be supported, the soap needs proper packaging so that the business can be promoted better than what it is now.
Are you saying the Member representing Kokona East Constituency did nothing in regard to all these problems you have mentioned?
These are the challenges we are faced with and these have been some of my reasons inspiring to seek my people’s mandate. The previous leaders and even those in power now have not given attention to addressing these aspects of needs. And this is why I took my time to make findings, so that I can know what really are the needs of my people. As I speak to you, majority of these women did not go to school, so whatever you introduce them to apart from their local trades they will not appreciate it as much as they will appreciate anyone who seek to improved on their local soap production. Therefore, empowering them in that direction will make them feel happier because even overseas, the value of this local soap is very high, yet our crop of leaders today don’t reason in this direction.
How do you intend to go about such investment that can empower these women?
It will not even take or cost much if you can get 100 women and disburse like N3million across that number it will go a long way. This is why I have decided to go into the race come 2023 and if given the opportunity, these are the areas I intend to tackle headlong. Our women and youths are of great potentials and all they need is constant interface and what I refer to as ‘feedback mechanism’ which our leaders today are lacking. And achieving youth unrests, I am planning that when given the mandate to lead in any political capacity, I will first create room for them and ensure that their ideas translates into viable productive means that can add value to our constituency, state and the country at large.
With what you have in mind for your people, Nigeria is faced with challenges of economy meltdown. How do you intend to achieve them?
Let me tell you that what has set our country backward is the lean attention to agriculture. Without farming our economy will continue to suffer, because the resources we all need for whatever empowerment that can improve our standard of living is in agricultural production. But it is sad and very unfortunate that our crop of leaders today didn’t realize all these. I am one who believe in farming and that is why I said my first priority will be investment on farming at modern level.
What are your chances of victory as you are planning to contest with a sitting member?
My prayer is that our leaders in the APC being the largest political party in Africa give us a level playing ground where the wishes of the people will count and if that will be the case, I am assuring you that I will successfully win the ticket and at the general election. This is because our people are tired of the present occupant of the seat at the state house of assembly who is attempting to go in for the third time. And I am going in to ensure massive support for our new national chairman to succeed in his leadership and as well as to our governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule.
