Umar Tanko Al-Makura could be described as an educationist, having acquired a Teachers? Grade II certificate, a College of Education certificate and a degree in Social Studies. But rather than take to teaching, he briefly stopped at a broadcasting house, went for higher studies and then into the private sector, linking up with the family business, where he blossomed into a big time player. Today, he is into politics, and will, indeed, be sworn in this afternoon as the Governor of Nasarawa State following his victory at the April 26, 2011 election. Interesting, Al-Makura has the distinction of being the first and only governor of the fledgling Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Nigeria. He spoke to ADEJOBI ADEDAYO in Lafia.
COMING from such an enviable background in education, why did you choose to do business instead of going to the classroom to teach?
My family background is that of private entrepreneurship where my father, being a technician, was dealing in the sales and service of agricultural and industrial machines like grinding mills, rice mills, and shelling mills for groundnuts and maize. That had been the vocation in the family.
When I graduated, being the first in the family to have gone to school, I felt I should pay back by returning to the family business. Even before I graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, in 1976, I founded and registered our family company named, Al?makura Nigeria Limited.
So, my coming back to work in the family was to make sure that the business pursuits of the family was not left to die. I was trying to give it a corporate outlook by registering it and then pursuing the job in a modern way so that we could build the company and also give the children some opportunity to explore themselves within the family vocation.
It got to a point where we were importing agricultural machines from Britain, India, France and Germany as far back as the early 80s up to the late 80s. I couldn?t have gone to do any other job when I knew we already had the potentials of business activities in the family, which required only a little effort to give it a modern and corporate outlook.
That motivated me to stay back home and by God?s grace, that decision has paid off. Ever since 1976 when the company was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, we have achieved a lot, especially in the field of agricultural machinery, construction and eventually real estate business.
It?s exactly 34 years down the line since you started business fully. Looking back, how would you describe those years in terms of challenges, the overall growth rate and expansion of the business?
Honestly, it has been a herculean task because, in a situation where you want to convert a business outfit that was not modernised, into one that will cope with modern demands of business, it is a very big task. You have to convert the way you do things and get the business pursuits and interests of the company in line with modern acceptable standards.
Then, my father would go and buy machines, sometimes in Enugu, Kano and even Jos with the little resources he had. And at that stage, there were no bookkeeping, no records, no receipts or inventory. So, when I took up the business, we had to set up invoices, ledgers, audit and accounting systems and receipts so that we would be able to keep track of how beneficial the business was.
It was a real task, most particularly when we had little or no patronage. The amount of what we were able to achieve depended largely on our own efforts, strategies and the state of mind on how to keep track of opportunities that availed themselves.
Fortunately, I have a big brother, who is well-to-do; he gave me the encouragement to push the company to a level that it has reached. In doing that, he became the Chairman, while I assumed the post of Managing Director. The company suddenly changed from its local mode of operation to a modern outfit by finding peculiar and suitable ways to transact and operate its activities even with the little modern business knowhow at out disposal.
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HAVING garnered so much experience, fame and fortune, one would expect you to stay put in the business setting, instead of coming into full-fledged politics. What would you say spurred the nudge to getting involved in politics?
I started my political activities right from school while at the College of Education, Uyo. I had started actively in unionism and attained the position of P.R.O of the Students? Union in 1974. And by virtue of that election and appointment, I became an executive member of NUNS (National Union of Nigerian Students) as National Secretary. At that time, we had people like Nwodo, the former Minister of Information, who was the President.
When I came to the Ahmadu Bello University, I became a member of the Students? Parliament. So, right from these formative years on the campus, I became attracted to politics because I see in politics as an avenue, a vehicle where one can express one?s inner self as it affects how one wants one?s environment to be kept; how one wants his society to live. Since then, I got so attracted because I found it as a way I could add value to the society.
Having worked within the family setup where there are no restrictions for participating in political endeavours, I launched myself into politics at the very early stage of the formation of the NPN (National Party of Nigeria) in 1979. I just got into the NPN while I was doing my business at home and a year after, I became elected as the Youth Leader of the party in the then Plateau State.
After that, I got elected again into the Constituent Assembly in 1988/1989, where I represented Lafia/Obi Constituency. When the Constituent Assembly activities came to a close, I got elected as the First Secretary of the NRC (National Republican Convention).
With my experience in the university in student?s politics and unionism, entering into political party activities became a smooth transition. And so, I have found myself reaching out to a larger society.
What peculiar values, benefits, innovation, outstanding leadership qualities and life-changing opportunities should citizens of Nasarawa State expect from your government?
My intention to participate actively in the politics of Nasarawa State is to see how much value I can add to the polity. Having garnered these experiences right from school and I have been in politics all these years, I felt it would be a great deal of disservice to my people if I didn?t participate and fraternize with politicians so that I could bring my experience to bear for the gainful benefit of my people.
My focus and vision with regard to politics has to do with two issues, namely, philosophical and physical attributes. Over the years, I have observed a very fundamental problem within in the political arena and that problem is that of value system. I believe that if the right values are inculcated and nurtured in the minds of the people; that would be the beginning or the foundation for effective development. And the values are patriotism, diligence, accountability, exemplary leadership, judicial use of government funds and others associated with a trusted value system.
People, who champion the political activities of their people lead by example, and conduct themselves with the best of decorum in line with expectation of the rules and regulations of democracy. Leadership should not consider government property as nobody?s property; they should not consider government funds as nobody?s funds, and we should lead by example by showing the people that your activity as a leader does not give room for negligence and lack of accountability.
Discipline should also be inculcated by doing the right thing at the right time; go by the acceptable norm within the society. The reason I participated actively in the politics of Nasarawa is that the state is in dire need of physical infrastructure. The state was created about 14 years ago, and unfortunately, if you go round the state and its capital, you would notice that the criterion for determining a state has not been fulfilled in Lafia. So, that physical transformation ? to bring the state in line with other states of its ilk ? is the reason that has motivated my interest to participate and contest for the office of Governor for Nasarawa State. I want to impact some positive change in Nasarawa State both in value system and transformation through physical infrastructure.
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BEFORE your election, the police in Abuja interrogated you over the alleged heckling of President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Akwe Doma, and some of your aides were in police custody for six days. What actually happened?
It is so unfortunate that even with all the efforts I had put in place since I commenced my political aspiration, I should be subjected to that kind of intimidation and harassment. I think that is very unfair.
I have tried strenuously, since I embarked on this gubernatorial ambition, to conduct not only my activities, but that of my followers, especially those very close ones to me, to adhere strictly to the rule of law, and to see ultimately the protection of lives, goods and properties, and also the enhancement of mutual and amicable union.
I have gone out of my way in many instances to ensure responsible conduct in politics. I don?t believe politics is a game of lies and confrontation. There was an instance at the early stage of my campaign when some of my supporters went and placed my posters in the building that was not of my supporter and I had to go there myself to remove the posters because I considered it provocative.
There were instances when I stopped in the convoy, against security advice, to make sure that the conduct of our convoy was in good form and shape, such that we did not have to obstruct the passage of people who did not have anything to do with our campaign.
Not only that! A day before the President?s visit in Lafia, I gave an order that all our vehicles should not been seen until Mr. President had come and gone. I thought I was contributing my quota to the safe and memorable visit of Mr. President.
Throughout the visit, I was indoors, watching everything on Television. But as a way of compensation, after people displayed my photographs and those of (Gen. Muhammadu) Buhari, which I never knew anything about, the Commissioner of Police invited me.
I would rather they have invited leaders of the political parties and people of the town, a day or two before Mr. President?s coming, to sensitize the people on how to conduct themselves during Mr. President?s visit.
But the police never did that in Lafia; instead, they, particularly the Commissioner of Police, wanted to shift their negligence and failure in terms of security preparations, on us, who had nothing to do with what happened, except that my photographs and those of Buhari were displayed. I think that was very unfair.
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My Family, My Business And Politics
Background
MY background is like that of any other normal person. I was born in Lafia, Nasarawa State and as a young man, had participated in all kinds of activities, as did other children in my time. I went to the river to play and went to farms with friends, though we didn?t have farming as a vocation in the family. My father was a technician and I used to accompany him to his place of work.
When I became of school age, I first attended the Quoranic School in 1957 at the age of five, where we were taught the Quoran and also the rudiments of Islam.
After the Quoranic education, I was enrolled into the Dunoma Primary School in 1959; it was then the most popular pubic primary school in Lafia. In fact, it was the first primary school before the Missionaries came and established other schools. From there, I proceeded to the Keffi Teachers? College in 1967 and graduated in 1971, with a Grade Two (TC II) certificate.
The following year, which was shortly after the Civil War, the three ?R?s of which I can only remember two ? Reconstruction and Rehabilitation (and Reconciliation) ?? formed the mechanism that the Federal Government put in place to bring the country together, thus cementing our corporate existence.
At that time, there was this idea of an exchange programme where students from the North were sent to the South and vice-versa, and they were looking for those with good results, which in turn formed a good representation of the North. My grades were highly impressive and I was selected, along with five others from the then Benue/Plateau State, for the programme.
We went to the Southeastern state where we became part of the first set of the College of Education, Uyo, between 1972 and 1975. I graduated with a National Certificate in Education.
After my graduation, I had a stopgap, as I worked with the Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria (BCNN), now Nigerian Television (NTA), Kaduna. I was employed as Assistant Producer, News and Current Affairs, where I worked with the likes of Al Bazoro, Adamu Aogi, Thamaus Matathais and Sam Saba.
My employment at BCNN was for a short while because the same year, I proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where I studied Social Studies. I graduated in 1978 after the ?Ali Must Go? saga throughout the federation. I then proceeded for my NYSC programme in Benue State and passed out in 1979.
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LOOKING back over the years, how have you managed to balance business with marriage and politics?
I am living on a tripod; my life in the past few decades had been a life on a tripod. The tripod is my family, politics and business. I consider my family as a big business, as I have two wives, 10 children and four grandchildren. I see to it that everyone is hale and hearty; that I provide at least the basics for the retinue.
And as the head of the family, you have to be the head of virtually everyone in the family. You have to keep a tab on the children, making sure that their ways, idiosyncrasies and value system follow the kind of tradition you set for your family to follow.
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On the business angle, I don?t do contracts. My main pre-occupation in terms of vocation is Real Estate with my focal point in Abuja. It is a very sensitive, intricate business because it is risky and not only capital intensive; it has to do with a lot of due diligence. There are loads of speculators and speculations in the business and if one does not take care, one will end up losing millions of Naira in a single business.
The third of the tripod is the political arena. It?s a very interesting aspect of my life, even though it?s about the most volatile, as you could be called all sorts of names. You could find yourself doing what you thought you never could do, either by going out of your way to please people.
Sometimes, you do the right things and they are misinterpreted; you have to go all the way back to explain your views. That?s the kind of life this side of the tripod is like, but I thank God. It is better for one to get exhausted having challenges than to sit idling around. But your success would determine how you would harmonise, how you would do justice to each of these. That?s the kind of challenge I have and it?s worth my while.
Going down memory lane, if you chronicle your growing up, what were those moments that shaped you?
My growing up was not as different from anybody who comes from my area; it?s a normal growing up. The challenges I had, I can tell you, were interesting. I went to school at the age of five and that seems to be one scenario in my life that has been recurring, up to this point in time.
At every stage I found myself, especially during my education, you found out that I was always the youngest person in the class. When I went to the primary school, I was only five years, while the school age was six. I created a lot of scene in the house for me to go to school. And so, my father and the headmaster had no option than to enroll me at an under-age. From then on, I had been subjected to classmates of mine, who were bullies at that time.
It was the same kind of treatment I got in my primary school, at the Teachers? College, and at the College of Education, Uyo. Some of my classmates were old enough to father me. But all the same, we were classmates.
Even in my class of 1975 through 1978, over 70 per cent of my classmates were by far older than myself. And I think that has made me very lucky in the sense that I am being taken care of, and so, I have the belief that it must have shaped my experience growing up and my experience in life.
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TO achieve such lofty and enviable height, you must have based your life on some standing philosophies. What would you say has been the driving force and operating philosophy in this regard?
My driving force and philosophy in life is to always leave a place better than you met it. Wherever I am, whatever I do, if it will not influence or impact people around me positively, I don?t partake in it. I believe in creating a better society; I believe in my positive contribution towards the up-keep and survival of the society.
My driving force is that nothing is impossible. If you have the drive, the vision, and the mind to do a good thing, no matter what comes your way, don?t be discouraged; go ahead and pursue it. You will be surprised at what people will think, or say is insurmountable, but with your drive, vision, resilience and conviction, you will be able to attain the height that people cannot fathom.
Who is you mentor?
My mentor and role model is a lady called Helen Keller; she was deaf and blind. But before she died, she had made an impact in the world. So, if such a visually impaired person could contribute meaningfully and positively to the growth and development of the society, thus making a global impact, one has no reason not to attempt, conquer and attain greatness in life.
You were recently honoured as a traditional titleholder; what does this designation entail?
By birth, I happened to have come from the royal family of Kwandara and I am presently the Ciroma Kwandara, a big traditional title.
Secondly, I am a titleholder in Lafia, as his Royal Highness, the Emir of Lafia, has graciously installed me as the Sarkin Dawakin Maituta of Lafia. That, again, is a very important title, as you are considered amongst the council of advisers to His Royal Highness, the Emir. These are two traditional titles I guard jealously, and I will continue to conduct myself in line with expectations of such titles.
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