The Kaduna State deputy Governor Arch. Bala Barnabas Bantex has disclosed why Southern Kaduna could not get a state despite its concentration of high profile personalities from the region.
Bantex, while fielding questions from Journalists from his hometown recently said,” When I represented my state in the constitutional conference, our people wanted a State created for us, but there was this problem that I had with some of the elites from the Zone. The challenge was that the idea of looking for a State was presented like a struggle or a matter of disagreement between the people of Southern Kaduna and Northern Kaduna. But I said no, It is about getting additional State out of Kaduna State. To me, that narrative made a lot of difference.
” I couldn’t even get some of the elites who control some of the political events of the time to agree that it must be pursued as a joint project led by the Governor of the State and actively involving both people from the Northern and Southern part of the State. The best way was to present the matter in such a way that the need to split the State into two is to foster rapid development not because we disagreed. But I couldn’t get them to understand and sit together for them to see the need to join forces with the Northern part to pursue this together,” Bantex said.
He added that,” I sat down there in anger and saw how Nasarawa State that was by far less qualified for a State got all their traditional rulers from all the divides, the Christians, Muslims, retired generals, their big shots from all over the then Plateau who came together, did a beautiful memo and approached the constitutional conference as a team – asking that Plateau be split into two and they then together, visited the Northern caucus, the Southern, caucus, Eastern and western caucuses and they got a state.” “Meanwhile being a military era, we had top military generals that were highly respected and were senior to the people in the Villa” he added.
At that time we’ll move with Col. Yohanna Madaki, Col. Wyoms and we moved into an office, they will stand up an salute them but still yet, for lack of cohesion, we still couldn’t get a State,” Bantex said.
He maintained that, he is going to use verifiable evidences in his campaign to show what they lost.
He disclosed that,” For me, I got around them and developed a strong relationship,
that was how I got to split Kaura/Kauru federal constituency into two based on inter-personal relationship between good people.”
In reiterating his position to ensuring he breaks down barriers that set our people backward, he said, “I want to drive a campaign that will make people have confidence in me to give me the mandate come 2019. And I am sure they’re going to see rapid development because we’re going to use the Presidency which I have been close to as a friend and am sure he (the President) is going to win.” Bantex declared.
Source –The Heritage News