A chieftain of the ruling party APC (All Progressives Congress) Deputy Speaker ECOWAS Parliament and representative of Wase federal constituency of Plateau State in the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase said: “There is no justifiable reason for Plateau state to be poor while it has what it takes to be the food basket of the nation and one of Nigeria’s industrial hubs other than the case of ethno-religious crisis that has relegated the economic potentials of the once vibrant state to state of coma and pitiable situation that must be arrested for the return of development and unity.”
Speaking to our correspondent on phone, Wase believes that with good, determined and sincere leadership anchored on the tenets of unity and concern to the overall development of the state, within few years, Plateau state will transform into an economic and agricultural giant of Nigeria that can offer employment opportunities is different sectors of the economy to other interested Nigerians.
Wase who lamented the rising rate of poverty and unemployment bedeviling the state, assured that once the 2023 gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Nentawe is accorded his rightful status as the governor of the state by the Supreme Court, Plateau state stands a golden chance of bouncing back to its glories days as Nigeria’s Home of Tourism and Hospitality within few months.
According to the soft-spoken legislator, despite the lingering security challenges bedeviling the once prosperous state, a lot was achieved by the Simon Lalong administration within his eight-year stint as a governor while a solid foundation was laid for peace building as well as economic development of the entire state that should be supported by the coming APC administration.
Reading out his stewardship card, Wase said: “I am a grassroots politician with special focus on rural and urban development, security to lives and property as well as employment opportunities. I have been on my best without looking back. I enjoy the unalloyed support of my constituents across party divide. I have been justifying the mandate I enjoy and I shall not disappoint my people for mandating me to represent them all these years. I know the problems of my constituency and I have addressed majority of those problems. I am not resting on my oars until I defeat unemployment, absence of necessary infrastructure, scourge of poverty and security challenges”.
Speaking on the possibility of Dr Nentawe accessing power in Plateau state through the Supreme Court, Wase said: “We have confidence in the judiciary. We know the law to be blind but we have hope in the judiciary. We know nobody in the Tribunals, Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court but we have hope in the Almighty Allah for favorable judgment.
“Our opponent the PDP went to bed much earlier than expected despite its experience in politics and governance without putting its house in order before the elections. The party couldn’t have behaved the way it did. It was disobedience to a simple Court Order that dismantled its victories and retired some of its best players. I hope the party has learnt a lesson against future. We should strive to be law abiding and respect the judiciary no matter what we are or who we know”.
On why he lost the contest for the position of 10th Speakership of the House of Representatives to Tajudeen Abas, he said: “That’s the beauty of politics. We agree and disagree as members of the same APC family and my opponent in the contest enjoyed the support of an upper hand. We have since slept over that issue as family members” On his 2027 political plans, Wase opined that until the time comes, for now he is more to legislative functions than diverting to other issues of less importance to the development of his constituency, Plateau State and Nigeria.
