Of The Leaked Phone Call Between Senator Bulkachuwa And One Of His Constituents, Marafa -By Muhammed-Bello Buhari

These past days, a recorded phone call conversation between Bauchi North’s Senator Bulkachuwa and his constituen, Marafa, was leaked and has been trending ever since. Marafa was requesting for some privilege (alfarma) from the Senator, Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa to secure a job for him and the Senator said he don’t know how to do it and he will not do it.

It is, I think, at bottom a matter of urgency which we, as Nigerians (Northerners especially), must resolve. This [political] culture and/or habit of going to our representatives with the aim of begging or compelling them to cater for our weddings etc simply because they are representing us is a way of limiting the scope of accountable governance — and must be stopped.

But wait a minute, what’s even our political culture, especially with regard to our representatives at the National Assembly? Isn’t it here Senatorial candidates use campaign promises like construction of roads, hospitals, schools, securing jobs, empowering women and youths et al to get elected? And isn’t it here we elect Senators based on these promises which have nothing to do with their direct and primary duties as representatives? And isn’t it here we rank and re-elect Senators based on the cars, tricycles, motorcycles, tailoring machines, and jobs shared?

I mean, isn’t it here both the electorates and the candidates, the constituents and elected representatives overlook representation, lawmaking, and oversight functions and focus on cars and money shared? Herein, when it’s time for elections, we turn the other cheek to core components of representation such as visits and meetings with constituents, communication and responses to constituents’ demands.

So why blame the young man, Marafa, who was simply demanding what he was promised? For a Nigerian Senator who is part of the political elite-class that are given job offers simply because we elected them to represent us; that share cars, jobs, and opportunities not meritoriously but to family and cronies; to say that he cannot secure job because he doesn’t secure jobs would go on to be one of the biggest lies of 2022.

This is the same Senator that’s allegedly involved in massive monetary scandal of constituency projects allocated for the quality of youth and women skill training. According to Wikipedia, his office received ₦169m for skill acquisition training for youths to cover 7 local governments under his constituency which are: Zaki, Shira, Jama’are, Gamawa, Katagum, Giade and Itas/Gadau. But reports have it that he selected 70 youths and offered them 6 hours programme in Azare which was criticized as substandard and also not fitting the amounts allocated to him and refused beneficiaries to have interviews with journalists.

Today, so many youths like Marafa are unemployed, and most of them have been reduced to political thugs where their hopes, ambitions, and dreams are lost in the thick fog of oblivion. And so much of the so called educated and employed ones have been reduced to social media bigots where they indulge in religious or tribal insults and condemnation.

This [broken] system that we live under creates people such as Marafa. In the final analysis, Marafa should be the victim and Sen. Bulkachuwa, the irresponsible, and not otherwise or vice versa. So let’s not be interested in blaming Marafa. Let’s be interested in changing the kind of system that produces youths like him. Let’s be interested in changing the narratives!

There are so many things to hold unto from that conversation. The irresponsible and demeaning questions rhetorical questions uttered by the Senator. “Is someone dying?” he asked in the beginning of the call, “I thought someone was dying because I have spare lives in my library or trunk so I could fetch one for him.” And his ‘I don’t care and don’t give a damn’ attitude throughout out the call among others, are self evident that our leaders careless about the plight of the common Nigerian and until we are collectively ready to challenge the status quo in this country, we will remain to be semi-slaves in this globalized world.

In the end, the edged and irritated Senator told Marafa the right thing to do, “If I run for office again, please don’t vote for me.” This must remain our drum major instinct to remain awake in a country like ours, to know our civic obligations and the responsibilities of the few we elected, to get involved and actively participate, and know how to articulate our demands if at all we envision a Nigeria where youths are not marginalized and oppressed in every possible way but are involved in the decision-making process.

Remember that as you read this post now, there are so many alike Bulkachuwa–Marafa conversations taking place all over the nation. Now more than ever, the need to be politically literate can’t be over emphasized. Therefore, those of us who read and think must assume the backbreaking task and responsibility for educating our brothers and sisters.

That’s why I must commend Kunle Lawal and the amazing work he is doing with his Electoral College in educating Nigerians for free. Leaders like Kunle Lawal and his likes need the help of all decent and passionate Nigerians to achieve this task of educating our brothers and sisters.

Let’s #GetInvolved. Let’s #KeepTheTruthAlive

— Muhammed-Bello Buhari (MB Buhari) is a Human Rights activist, public and political affairs analyst. He writes from Kaduna and can be reached via embbuhari@gmail.com