AM had a chat with Hon.
Dr. Dogara Mato Dary, the deputy speaker Kaduna State House of Assembly, he
passionately bore his mind to
Akurmi-Magazine on crucial issues that are central to the unity, growth and
development of the Kurama nation and Kaduna state (this interview was done
before the leadership crisis in the Kaduna State House of Assembly).
AM: Please introduce yourself and briefly tell us about your
background?
ANS: My name is Dr. Dogara Mato Dary, a member Kaduna State House of
Assembly, elected from Lere West Constituency, I was born and brought up in a
village called Kero in Garun Kurama district of lere local government of Kaduna
state. In fact, I did my primary school at L.E.A Garun Kurama, I then did my
secondary school at Tafawa Balewa College Samaru Zonkwa, from there I proceeded
to school of basic studies Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, after the Interim
Joint Matriculation examination I was admitted to read B sc. Physic and I
graduated in 1989, to the glory of God I emerged as the best final year
student. From there I proceeded for my N.Y.S.C in Cross Rivers state, I served
in a secondary school.
After my N.Y.S.C, I got an appointment in Kaduna Polytechnic, in the
department of Applied Science, incidentally I didn’t want to go back to the
university immediately but again, I was
interested in pursuing my masters program.
While in the polytechnic after spending almost three years, I went to
pursue my masters program, and they said I had to wait for my time that was when I was compelled in
the inside of me to go back to where I
truly belong and where my services where really needed, I had to go back to the
department of physics at the Ahmadu Bello University, I enrolled as a graduate
assistant, at the same time doing my masters in Applied geo physics. While I
was studying and lecturing, along the path I developed interest in politics, I
finished my P.H.D in 2002 precisely, and that same week that I defended my
P.H.D I was given an appointment to serve as the sole administrator of Lere
local government.
Immediately after my service as the sole administrator in lere local
government I wanted to come back to my teaching profession at A.B.U, upon
coming back two days after without consultation my name was announced, that I was to serve as the secretary Kubau
local government.
While I was working as the
secretary Kubau local government I was then
appointed the Commissioner of Ministry of Science and Technology precisely on
the 15th June 2005, that was how I became a commissioner, I was
sworn in and continued my service as a commissioner.
Afterwards, I was appointed as Special Adviser on Renewable Energy. After
my serving as Special Adviser, time went on and we got into 2011 where we had
to join the political race and I contested into Kaduna State House of Assembly,
and today by the grace of God I am a member of Kaduna State House of Assembly,
and I was elected the Deputy Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly.
AM: As an academician of repute, why did you leave the noble academic
field for a more complex profession of politics, what prompted this change?
Ans: From the beginning there is this thing I developed the habit of,
as much as possible I wanted to create an impact in my society, and I
discovered as a university lecturer that the best I can do is to teach and
probably do some research and bring about something that no body has ever
brought, but the question is I felt I was not in the right environment. I felt
the research grants that was needed for anybody to do the academic work was not
forthcoming and I was in a hurry to make an impact in the lives of men and
women, I wanted to be that agent, an instrument of change to my own society and I thought that
the best way to do that may not
necessarily be through the academic area.
AM: How do you discern between the needs of your people and there
wants?
Ans: well, basically when you talk about needs there are the basic
needs of man and the basic needs cannot be outside food, shelter and clothing.
Those are the basic necessity of man, but you can want anything, for me I have
to look at my society and I discovered that one of the basic need of my society
apart from food that every man has to struggle for, is water. So because it is
only when people have water that they can have better health, it is only when
people have good water that they can take their bath, it is only when people
have good water that they can drink, they can be alive and eat better food.
Another basic need I discovered the people really need is education, and
education comes in different ways, as government your responsibility is to
provide the basic infrastructure; classrooms, furniture and teachers.
AM: There is a disconnect between the leadership and the lead, it is
believed that the leadership often times only embark on projects for propaganda
or to reward political loyalist, what is your take on this?
Ans: For me I try to avoid politics, I prefer to look at reality, I try
to encourage people as much as possible not to be political about issues that
have to do with the wellbeing of the people. So of course some people might be
doing it but I try as much as possible for me as a person and as a legislator
to avoid political propaganda, I prefer to be far more realistic, I prefer to
be honest than saying something and tomorrow they won’t see it.
AM: as an academician and a politician, please tell us how you have
promoted education in Kurama land?
Ans: I must tell you that I have
set up a committee and I belief they are working on that, they have already
compiled the names of all those students in higher institutions within my
constituency in all the five wards. But unfortunately you would be shocked that
even during the compilation some people were giving false names, so in this
kind of situation when you have good intention, people genuinely want to find
ways of frustrating it. What is the need for you to bring a name that doesn’t
exist as a student in any of the high institutions? I can assure you that we
are making effort towards that.
AM: would you say you have expanded the political space for more Kurama
youths to participate?
Ans: I am happy about this question, you see in every system what we
need is some kind of opportunity that avail itself, but I think what you have
to understand is that while in the political sector there are so many things
that you have to do and you are in a
system that is turbulent as you rightly observed and because it is turbulent we
need a lot of caution and we need to really identify young men that have
genuine interest in the political system. Let me give you an instance I told
you I was in the university and I got myself interested in the system, now the
question I try to ask myself is, how many of this our Kurama guys have
deliberately shown the kind of interest that some of us have shown in those
days.
You would be shocked to know that apart from those normal politicians
that bugle around, I would want to see people that are of substance, that are
much younger showing keen and serious interest in the political game, but I can
assure you it wasn’t late Barr. Musa that identified me, I identified myself and
I took myself to him, because until you show enough interest you end up forcing
somebody into a game that he is not interested in.
AM: Do you subscribe to the notion that the Kurama people are too
arrogant to unite, and also tell us how in your opinion the Kurama people can
have unity of purpose in confronting their challenges as a people?
Ans: I think it is not true to say the Kurama people are too arrogant
to unite, the Kurama people have always been united, if there are any group of
people that have shown purposeful unity in Lere local government is the Kurama
man irrespective of what you may think, but what we need to do is to encourage
ourselves further, we can unite better, we can do much more than we are doing.
We need to encourage ourselves from where we are. The Kurama man can be
arrogant because he wouldn’t want to be seen as a beggar that is one thing that
you can talk about for the Kurama man.
AM: What is your stand on state creation?
Ans: my personal view is totally different, but my views you can be
sure are going to be the views of the government.
AM: after being into politics for all this years, what is your
practical definition of democracy, and also has democracy served its purpose in
the area of liberty, welfare and security of the citizenry?
Ans: well, for my definition of democracy, there are different
perspectives like the general definition the government of the people, by the
people and for the people, all that kind of definition, but for us in Nigeria
we may define it in a different form. I see democracy more as the wishes of the
majority directed by the elites that is my definition of democracy in Nigeria.
Whether it has served its purpose, if you look at between 1999 till date
definitely the development we have experienced in this country you would agree
with me that democracy has taken us further than we were during the military
era.
AM: what is your dream for the Kurama nation, and what is your role in
that dream?
Ans: my dream is that one day I would wake up and see everybody is
educated, that everybody does not go to anybody’s house looking for bread and
that is my greatest dream. How I participate in that dream as a legislator, I
would want to see that I am part of that dream
it worries me that every blessed day people are coming up for one or two
naira, it is so painful, and it is my dream that one day no graduate should
leave school without a job, this is a dream that is at the back of my mind.
AM: what is your advice to Kurama youths?
Ans: everyone must create a vision for himself, everyone must begin to think
what can I do for the society, what can I do for my own nation, no matter how
you think you must start from your locality. I should tell this, while I
was in the university as a student my major concern was why was there no light
in my village, why was there no good roads in my village, why was there no
drinking water in my village, so I had to now create a vision around my thought
and I kept thinking about it and when the opportunity availed itself to me, I
made sure that that vision that I had came to pass, today its all history.
AM: so far so good, so far how far, would you say you achieved enough to
warrant your re-election?
Ans: this is a very big question, in politics it is not how much you
have achieved, let me give you a little story, it depends on the perspective
you look at it from, today from a particular village you site bore holes, the
very area you site the borehole they are very happy with you, in that same
village because it is taken nearer to somebody’s house they are now angry with
the person you took the borehole near his house, and by implication they are
also angry with you, why was it not taken to their own area. Why I am saying
this, there are road construction that where taken to some particular area,
some people are not happy with it and today it has become a matter of jealousy,
it has become a matter of rivalry, a matter of confrontation. So it depends on
how you look at it and who you talk to some may be happy and some may not be,
so it depends on how you define whether you are going to be re-elected or not.
But one thing I know is that people are interested in good representation, and I think I stand above all in lere
west constituency today as I am talking to you, I belief it would be difficult
to find somebody who is just and fair the way I have tried to present myself.
AM: thank you sir?
Ans: thank you very much.
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