THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, PATANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, DELTA STATE – HON. ISAAC AGUANAH
HON. ISAAC AGUANAH’S 3 YEARS SCORE CARD HAS BROUGHT MULTIPLE GAIN TO PATANI LGA
Considering Hon. Isaac Aguanah pedigree and achievements as the Executive Chairman, Patani Local Government Area .He is a Pan-Nigerian leader who is acceptable by all regions of the country regardless of any ethnic, religious and tribal consideration. In politics and democracy, high moral and ethical standards are essential ingredients of good leadership and governance. They make leaders responsible and responsive as well as help boost confidence of the people. A leader who follows his moral and ethical convictions by doing the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching, has credibility. That is integrity and credibility speaking through him.
The essence of having integrity implies that a leader is true to himself and the people he is leading. Therefore, he would do nothing that demeans or dishonours his good reputation in the sight of the people. A cursory appraisal of Hon. Isaac Aguanah’s personality and leadership disposition reveals a man who is honest with himself and the people. He is frank and unpretentious as he has nothing to hide. This is the secret of his clear conscience and candour that emboldens him to mix, interact and communicate freely with the good people of Patani and Delta State in general.
For this reason, the vast majority of Patani people look unto him as their tested,trusted leader, rescuer and solution provider. To our Patani people, he is rightly the leader that has bail Patani people from political and socio-economic stagnation. His audacious entrance into the 2021 Local Government Chairmanship race in Delta State is widely perceived as the best thing that ever happened to Patani LGA. The people have enough provable reasons to believe in Hon. Isaac Aguanah. His score card as a Chairman between 2021 and 2024 (three years)are mind-boggling. In him, they look unto a steely and intelligent leader who sponsored many effective bills in a period of three years at the Local Government .He is indeed an outstanding personality, leader and a true representative of the people.
In addition to that, for three years, Hon. Isaac Aguanah’s keen sense of empathy is one unique trait which sets him apart from other Local Government chairmen. This has been exemplified in so many other countless achievements and his proactive performance in Patani and Delta State at large.
It is on the record that upon the resumption of duty as the Chairman, Hon Isaac political existence has influenced the employment of teachers in patani local government area, some youths were trained in various vocational fields and upon completion of the mentoring exercise which lasted for months, were duly assisted in setting up their various businesses in which 80% of them have carved a niche for themselves for today.
Hon Isaac Aguanah knows the importance of good and quality road network and through his influence as the Chairman, he turned Patani nooks and crannies into project Mecca. Besides these legislative efforts and accomplishments, it is on record too that he has, in an unprecedented manner attracted unequaled massive projects to the Patani Local Government Area and still counting. Hon Isaac flaunts a first-time record Patani in roads construction, Human Empowerment, he has awarded scholarship, rural electrification, both in the payment of accumulated BEDC bill incurred by the previous administration . The list is endless and no space in one write-up can allow the listing, else it may become boring.
A lot of young people in Patani Local Government Area even in the whole of Delta State have benefited both in Education, Health, Agriculture sectors and Oil Companies Treaties. Hon Isaac is a man that knows his onions, is not at all in doubt because from the start of his political career, he has shown remarkably that he towers in the realm of the spiritual. He stands today as the only and original voice of Patani LGA. The official mascot of Patani identity, history, traditional norms and values. A dedicated Christian that doesn’t play with the things of God, the fearless, courageous, pragmatic, articulate Philanthropist and very outspoken advocacy in the legitimate quest for constitutional clarity over contentious issues, which Hon Isaac Aguanah has displayed with competent authority, makes his leadership model iconic.
A managerial guru ideas and concepts of visionary passion to serve and give all to the entire local government and Nigeria . An enigma with tested, trusted and proven effective effectual responsive and responsible legislative dispositions. Your generational ground breaking feats speaks volumes and will stand the test of time .Your constituents appreciate, yearn clamour and beckon for your come back which is certain.
Your Local Government celebrate you and vowed to drop their vote in your support come 2024,it is you we know come 2024.The quintessential and exponential political guru driven with visionary passion to serve your people, with your adept ideologies prodigious political conceptualities. You are second to none and legislatively Primus inter paires. Most distinguished the hand writing is on the wall, Your re-election is a sealed deal come 2024.
Hear Him:
Can You Tell Us More About Yourself And Your Profile?
My name is Isaac Aguanah, the current Patani executive chairman. By the grace of God, whatever thing I am now, it is God that has made it. I never expected to be the local government Chairman but because it is ordained by God, on a platter of gold and the support of the people of Patani LGA, I am here as the chairman. I have been in the office for about 2 years and 11 months with barely one month to go.
How Has Your Journey Been So Far Since You Assumed Position And What Can You Say About The Current State Of Patani?
o far so good, when I came into office, there were lots of challenges in terms of the funding of the local government. But, as God would help us, we discovered that no matter how little the fund is, we must do something. My mind-set when I became the chairman, I said my first priority is to ensure I touch the lives of the people positively which I have managed and with the help of God, the local government has been so cooperative. The present state of patani LGA is different from what it was when I came in. I came in to a very big gap between the political family and the civil servants. I tried to bridge those gaps, now we have very cordial relationship with me, the counsellors and Vice chairman. You hardly identify who is chairman, council or civil servant because of our close relationship. Our mind set is to ensure that whatsoever fund that is coming to the Local government is for maintenance in the local government. We have made sure that all villages in the LGA are affected positively. A side from the Infrastructural development, we also have the human capital development. Just like the staff working with me, they have their official entitlement which we need to attend to. When I came in, we have come to a level of statutory of staff entitlement, claims, hotel accommodations etc. By God’s grace, I am happy that everybody is happy now with what is happening. I don’t take myself as a lion or a ruler, I am very accessible to everyone in the local government from senior to junior. I am hardly out of the local government, we stay together, dine together, laugh and play. I decided not to have any security for myself, I seldomly use my driver because I cannot see myself being a boss and then somebody like me with wife and children at home protecting me. God has been so faithful to me and I am living peacefully with the people without any harm overtime. Comparing my first assumption of office till date, there’s a land slide in the development.
Apart From The Commissioning Of The New Infrastructures Built In Your Tenure, Can You Enumerate Some Other Achievements Since Your Assumption Of Office In 2021?
I know that I have done many things that have affected the lives of the people. It doesn’t mean individually but doing a collective thing with the likes of the people. First to Count on, my first interest was the educational aspect, I saw that the teachers were not all that capable enough, so I tried to do training but at the end of the day, corp member came from all corner so I encouraged them by building an office for them. I was at the primary school where I schooled here and by the grace of God, the teacher that taught me in primary one is who I appointed as my secretary now because he taught me very well when I was young. I did all I could to motivate the standard of education, also in our days, when we were in the primary school, we normally have band sets, when you hear the band play then, everybody would be interested in coming to school, so I bought band set equipment for all the schools in the local government both private and public. I also saw the children are small and cannot clear the primary school field so I had to hire machines from Ughelli to clear all the fields for the children to avoid snake bites and other things. We have recruited more teachers, trained them, because the bulk work of every union is education. I have also given scholarship to ten persons across the local government with all fees paid for the four years to the university; all they need is to read their book. I don’t want to leave any debt for any other person. When I came in there was a huge indebtedness due to award of contracts when there is no money, so I saw that the council was always borrowing at the time when I came in, there were litigations, about 8 of them was in court. So I brought them all to my office and told them I am a different person and it will not be good for me as a child of God to go to court with you for a job you executed in the LGA, so my duty is to pay you bit by bit as the funds come in, with God , out of about 30million naira, we have been able to pay up 55% of that amount. So this was a big burden to me coupled with what I will do as I am in the office for the people to know that I have done something. There are lots of pension unpaid and loans borrowed, but we have paid that now. We have 3 clans in the local government and all the clans are affected with projects now, even all the communities. I told myself every project I do must be completed, I must not do half project and abandon it. I wait for resources and then do direct labour to completion.
What Are Some Of The Challenges You Have Faced In Trying To Bring This New Face To Patani?
Apart from the indebtedness, challenges is everywhere but the ability for you to stay and strategize to overcome those challenges is the goal. Above all, you will need God. When I came in initially, there was a lot of kidnap issues, we arrested about 3 of them, one died in the cell. Cultism was another serious challenge but to God be the glory and the help of some of my members, we took it upon ourselves to stop it, when they find any of your family member or children involved in the practice, that individual will be penalized. So with our collective efforts, all those challenges have been mitigated. Another great challenge we face presently is the NEPA light, when I came In, it was something else, I met with the NEPA office and they gave me a bill, I paid and that first time they brought light to the local government based on understanding until flood came. Flood came and took away all their materials, so after the flood I expected they would come back but nothing, so I went back to the office and they brought another bill of millions which ought to be shared by me and my colleagues , the nearest local government (Ughelli and 2 others) I called them and they said that is not their priority now, so I was left to pay the whole bill, because I don’t want my people to suffer, let me shoulder the responsibility which I spent money, so after installing the NEPA materials, we are still not getting the light as we should. I only made that payment because of my people, instead of me to wait for the state to come and do it. I am not currently happy with the NEPA body because I have spent a lot of money but I am not seeing anything I spent the money for.
With The New Administration In Delta State, What Do You Expect From The Governor?
When the governor came in, there were lots of litigations, but despite the fact that he was in court, I am still surprised the way he is starting, I know that with God he will be active. At this early hour already he is starting projects and everyone in Delta State is surprised, not everyone under litigations would work like that. After the litigations, he started commissioning more projects. If I may rate the governor, I would say he has performed far better than any governor who has been before. We are seeing the sign with the way he is starting, the rapid development can’t be compared to others. Others also performed well. What he told us in our last meeting at the government House is very phenomenal. All the projects I did, I didn’t borrow any money, it was from the availability resources of the local government, So is this governor, he told us that he has never borrowed money from anywhere. It is the available resources he is using to do all this projects. We believe In the next 3 years, there will be a face lift in Delta State with a better future with the way things are beginning now. Kudos to the governor, I will continue to follow his footsteps.
What Can You Say About The People Of Patani?
Patani generally is a Christian local government and in as much as we are Christians, we also observe our cultures. The festival of Patani local government which would come up in April, last time it was almost turned to a crusade, the priests preached and prayed, our 3 kings preached and prayed and that is why I am loyal to them. Whenever they call me, I respond to them, I see them as fathers and get advised. Patani Local government loves God.
Looking At The Current Situation Of The Country, Crime Rates Have Increased Rapidly, What Can You Say About The Security In patani LGA?
We are farmers in Patani, we rely on our farmlands. Although things are very expensive now, the price of cement and the rest, but, that virtually is affecting everyone in the country. We fish and farm here to eat, we take care of ourselves, that would not leave us to any serious crime rates with our current nature, be that as it may, not everyone can be farmers. We have pains but we still take care of ourselves.
As A Quintessential Man, What Would You Say Were The Values In Life That Made You Whom You Are Today? What Legacy Would You Want To Leave Behind?
In any office one occupies, it is by the grace of God. If I occupy any office I would always ensure that I do something for people to remember me for. For you to do something for people to remember you, it is not only executive projects, but your character and relationship is part of it. If you are not humble, even when you build whatsoever you want to build, nobody would look at you. When I am with my members, we crack jokes together, drink together, play football together. So that when one leave the office one can always mingle with them, but when you keep yourself high with too much protocols when people want to see you, when you are then out of the office, can you still maintain that standard. So one must be humble and ready to serve, when you serve people, you see them around you, it is God only that will lift you not human being. When I go to church, I go to sit where the children are sitting, we are all equal in the house of God. Also, I have enrolled a lot of people for Waec examination and I don’t expect anything in return. I always glorify God for everything he enables me to do.
Apart From Being A Politician, What Else Is Hon. Isaac Passionate About?
I have passion for football and definitely will keep playing football till I get old. I play football with my colleagues from time to time. I will even want some of my children to become footballers because I am very good in it till now. I am also a farmer; at the back of my house is a plantain plantation.
What Words Of Advice Or Call To Action Do You Have For The Public?
One should try as much as possible to bring down himself wherever he finds himself for the people. Sometimes I deliberately enter public transport to hear what the people are passing through. I was scrolling through Facebook one day and I saw someone posted if someone can offer scholarships to the people in Patani. And then I messaged him that if he can do it In a way that it will not be critized, So the children sat for examinations and was interviewed by lecturers. He did it and just 10 persons made it by the exams and interview and I paid for their full years in the university. So people should learn to associate with and assist people.
What Should We Be Expecting From Hon. Isaac In The Next 3 Years?
It is God that gives power. This is my first tenure, I am qualified to contest for a second tenure, the office allows that by law. So I am vying for this office in the next election. If it comes glory to God and if it doesn’t come I will know that God has another thing for me.
