Dr Mayo Jinga Lucious is the Senior Special Assistant on Social Integration and Value Orientation to Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State. In this interview ahead of the forthcoming rescheduled gubernatorial election, Dr. Lucious speaks on the performance of the Governor Nyako, the Governor’s relationship with major stakeholders in the state and on how the Governor’s engagement of 1,000 Special Assistants has been able to impact positively on the economy of the state. Excerpts:

WHat is your assessment of the first term of Governor Murtala Nyako?

Before I delve into the performance of the Govr, I will first refresh the mind of the people on what it was before he came into power. Before he came our roads were in total shambles, both our high ways and township roads. Numan to Yola took 3 to 4hrs but now 30 minutes. Mubi road, hospital road and many other roads were complete mess. Many asthmatic patients died because of excessive dusts inhaled from these roads.

You don’t talk about cars; spare parts dealers made so much gain then. Now it is a different story all together. There’s a massive investment in infrastructure, health, education and human developments. His performance in his first tenure was what made him popular and acceptable to the people.

Over 3500 graduate teachers employed. I believe Adamawa State people have not forgotten the issue of “warehousing” of workers that the previous regime has wanted to embark upon. Nyako instead of that he added again that number and thousands of Special Assistants. He deserves commendation.

The Governor came on the goodwill of major stakeholders in the state such as Senator Jubril Aminu, Mohammed Marwa and many others. Today they are all far from him. What caused the split?

Mr Mayo

Disagreements amongst friends, families and colleagues are a normal thing. To the humble it comes with great lessons and wisdom. Friends are always friends no matter what comes between them, any outsider that intervenes into the affairs of friends will one day cover his face in shame.

I keep praying that these friends will for the sake of the state come together. Both religions accepts that “power comes from God alone” because it is God that enthrones and dethrones. I tried to find the reason for their disagreements, I found none. Both of them have their representatives in this government.

But like I said it is a normal affair in politics. It would have been unimaginable to think that the former Vice President and my governor will one day be political friends. A month ago former Vice-President Atiku publicly endorsed Governor Nyako and asked his followers to not only embrace him but to give him all the support he needs to come back.

The Governor has been accused of underperformance. Why do you think this accusation keeps coming?

It is very easy for a spectator to see the fault of the player, but when you are the one in the field you will understand it differently. Constructive criticisms are always welcome by my Governor.

The Governor’s decision to appoint about 1000 aides was seen as an act of frivolity. How do you think these aides have contributed to governance?

It is not an act of frivolity. The private sector employs a very marginal number, we don’t have industries, more so majority do not have functional education that can help them to be self employed. This is the reason why government engaged in a massive vocational training of S.As. My brother, Governor Nyako should be commended. The reason why Adamawa State has not witnessed uprisings is because a good number of the youths are not idle, they have been engaged by the government. Those who complain are the enemies of the youths; they want them out on the streets to be ready tools in the hands of disgruntled politicians.

There are insinuations that ethnic considerations could be a snare against Governor Nyako. Do you agree?

Our people are wiser now than ever. The last elections should be a lesson for these religious/ethnic champions. While it may work elsewhere, it will not in Adamawa State at all. Some of us were called names when we were telling them to shun this path. The fact that we have an unwritten working agreement, “a Christian or Muslim deputizes the other” it is not an approval to toe that negative line.

“Our prayer is that God will give us men and women that will serve the people without differentiating. Take Egypt of recent, they have banned all forms of discrimination on the bases of religion, ethnic and tribe. The State has the largest number ethnic tribes in Nigeria and in every house you will find practitioners of both religions. So how can that succeed? No way.