|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Aminu Suleiman Goro, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Fagge Federal Constituency of Kano State, featured on the Inspiring Leadership Reflection Series platform of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), a Kano-based not-for-profit organisation, Adeola Ajakaiye, captures the proceedings for BDSUNDAY.
The name Goro, which in Hausa Language translates into kola-nut, has gradually become a household name in Kano political circle. Before venturing into the murky waters of the Nigerian politics, he was a one-time state secretary of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and had played several challenging, but interesting roles in advancing the cause of the ordinary Nigerians.
Born in the early part of the 60s in Gwumaja area in the then Municipal Local Government of the state, the activist turned-politician, who described his present sojourn into politics as being on ‘sabbatical from activism’, hopes to return to activism some day. He is currently the chairman, House Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Services.
My foray into politics
“I was motivated to venture into Nigerian politics by what I experienced when I was part of the NLC Lobby Group committee to the National Assembly. We were at the Public Gallery of the Assembly when a proposed Bill on the establishment of a commission for Power Producing Area was being debated, many of us who were from the north, who witnessed the proceeding were not happy with the contributions of some members of the Assembly from the northern part of the country. It was then and then that I made up my mind to seek opportunity to represent my people at the Assembly,” he recalled.
“It was clear to me that you cannot change a system when you are outside the system, so I resolved to join politics. One fact that I learnt when I ventured into politics was that you have to first learn to be a passenger, then a conductor, before you will be given a driving seat. I contested several elections and lost, but eventually in 2011 I succeeded, and became a member of the National Assembly,” he further said.
Political achievements
In what appeared to be his score card, Goro said: “One of the several achievements which I am always proud of was securing pensionable employment for over 800 youths and women from my constituency. This is particular what I always thank God for. I was at a function in one of the South Eastern states, when a member was being praised for getting federal jobs for 40 people, but here we are talking of over 800 people.
“I have also initiated several empowerment programmes for young jobless people within and outside of my constituency, and in the next few weeks another set of 1000 youths and women are going to be provided with empowerment tools.”
National Assembly is dynamic
“Nigerians must understand dynamism and complexity of the National Assembly. Some Nigerians are surprised with the position of the representatives on issues; for example, let take the issue of the re-ordering of the election time table, not all members of the Assembly are in support of the reordering, but once it has been done there is little or nothing they can do about it,” he said.
Life history
Recounting his early life experience to a large audience made up of young students, drawn from secondary and university community, Goro, one of the emerging young leaders, shaping the future of Nigerian democracy, narrated how he started from ground zero of Kano politics to becoming a serving member of the National Assembly.
“I was born in Gwumaja area of Kano metropolis. When I was born, all the Local Government Areas that are presently known as metropolitan LGAs were under the Municipal LGA. Fagge LGA, where I come from was part of the LGA,” Goro said.
“I started my Primary School at Masaka Primary School, later moved to Rija Lemo Primary School. After being expelled several times for student activism, I finally concluded my secondary education at a secondary in Baguda,” he further said.
According to him, “After obtaining a diploma, I began to work as welfare officer with Gaskiya Textile, one of the largest textile companies in the country then. I later became the chairman of the textile workers’ union in the company, before I was invited by Comrade Adam Oshiomhole, former NLC national president, to take up a responsibility at the national headquarters of the NLC, in Lagos.
“In 2010 October, I returned to Kano from Lagos, where I became the secretary of the Kano State Council of the NLC, when during regime of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, I was among the 20 members of the NLC picked by the national leadership of the Union to lobby the National Assembly against the move by the government to proscribe the Union.”
