GOD PUNISH ME IF I FAIL TO REPRESENT MY PEOPLE'S INTEREST-REP. BUKAR LAWAN

Goni Bukar Lawan represents Bursari/Yunusari/Geidam Federal Constituency, Yobe State, at the House of Representatives. At a recent reception for him at Juluri, Bursari Local Government area, Lawan wept profusely because of the refusal of youths in his area to embrace education.

He said he had made several efforts to promote education in the area and other facilities for general improvement of the life: 'I will never support anything that is against Nigeria.' He revealed also that his father died when he was just seven years old and that it pained him with the realization that he was not alive to witness his progress.

Lawan was, however, filled with praises for his district head, Alhaji Lawan Kachalla Juluri who took the pain to raise him. He also thanked the people of his constituency that made him what he has become today: 'My people love me so much and God will punish me if I fail to represent them well.' He said he would give his best for his people because he has learnt so much on the need to be fair, humble and respect the people. He asked his colleagues at the National Assembly to always remember that they were there because of the people and that it was the people who gave them the mandate to work for them:

'What we do today positively or negatively will surely shape the future. It is good to make use of the privileges we have to enhance the status of our localities, it is in our collective interest. We should therefore think positive and always endeavour to contribute to the uplift of our communities and the status of our people. Let us eschew all forms of retrogressive attitude, selfishness and envy. Let us not create artificial differences among our selves. Let us respect and treat each other with respect, dignity, confidence and love.'

Lawan said Governor Ibrahim Gaidam gave them a secondary school, but that the youths abandoned the school, a situation which he said was disheartening and painful. He called on the youths to have a rethink as no human being would be able to fulfill his life goal without proper education. He said education would broaden the horizon of the people and make them contribute in a useful manner for the development of the society. He appealed to parents and elders of the community to do something about the situation. Of the few that went to school in the area, Lawan said he gave scholarship to 20 at the University of Maiduguri. He thanked Gaidam for his genuine commitment to education and for providing his community with a secondary school.

Achievements in the last dispensation
Within the last dispensation, he said he ensured the electrification of some communities under the rural electrification project. He said he ensured the completion of the 33KVA electrification project which connected Yunusari from Dapchi through Bayamari, Kaliyari and Kakanduri. Two 33KVA transformers were procured for Kucikuciri and Tunga. He added that the Geidam solar street lightening has been completed with the Gadine solar borehole project.

To boost local transportation, he gave out 600 motorcycles and commended the governor who promised to construct a road to link the communities to the major road. Lawan said he completed 18 of the 20 boreholes he initially awarded and that he rejected the other two because of substandard work. According to him, 50 water pump generators were also procured and distributed by him. He said he also gave out 45 sewing machines for the economic empowerment of people and especially of the women in the area.

He said he was still making consultations with the people before coming out with his master plan for the next dispensation. He, however, said Gumsa and Masaba would be connected to the national grid.

Wind energy as alternative
The amount of wind in the state is a blessing, and President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged this when he visited the state early this year: 'With the power situation in the country, there was the need to think of alternative sources for the different parts of the country. I promise to mobilize support at the National Assembly for the realization of the windmills as alternative use of energy.'

Desertification Control Commission
He said the importance of the commission cannot be over-emphasized because of the sacking of villages in the state and other frontline states of the federation by desertification. He said all efforts would be mobilized for the President to sign the bill into law so that pragmatic efforts would be taken to fight desertification which has distorted the ecology of the state among others in the country.

Lawan said he was saddened with the daily reports of the number of pregnant women that die during labour and child-bearing in the country including infant mortality. He said he would support all moves meant to check the situation and that he would make commitment towards the fight against malaria, HIV/AIDS among others.