By
Fidelis Longban
Today Monday,10th June 2024, Rt.Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, OON, PhD shall be marking one year into his second mandate in the House of Representatives. In honour of this event it is imperative to x-ray what is popularly referred to the "Gagdi Phenomenon", a cliche that has seamlessly crept into the political lexicon of PKK and indeed the entire Plateau State. When servant-leaders perform, they should be applauded and celebrated. In this mould of leaders are the likes of Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi.In a fair and non-partisan assessment, there is no gainsaying the fact that the graceful and dashing young man has attracted so many epithets and accolades since he came into the leadership scene hence he merits resounding claps.
Is Gagdi truly a phenomenon? Yes he is. Does he deserve to be celebrated? Yes, he does. Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi merits laurels and accolades, for pragmatic representation and legislation right from his stint as Deputy Speaker Plateau State House of Assembly to his current two-time Membership of House of Representatives for Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency. The story goes that his march to greatness began from a humble beginning at his rural community of Gum-Gagdi where he grew up and went to school, amidst uncertainties, through the drudgery of rural life. Though the prospects seem gloomy at the start of the journey of life, fate eventually smiled throwing him up now as a prodigiously endowed persona.
From his phenomenal achievements, Gagdi has become so personified in first-rate representation that over 75% of his constituents has been "Gagdified" a euphemism for being adopted into the Gagdi ideology.
The things that make Gagdi famous in PKK and beyond are: his generosity; his smartness; his guts; his superlative parliamentary outings; his networking and lobbying capacity, and above all, his projects. He has continued to bestride the topsy turvy of politics with uncommon boldness. Simply put, he is a maverick politician. Gagdi's achievements cut across representational, infrastructural, socio-economic and political spheres.
So far, in his 6 years of representation, he has initiated and commissioned the following impactful projects: Dengi-Kwalmiya-Dugub-Gum-Gagdi-Wawus-Zamangat road; 28 Classroom blocks in all the 28 wards of the Federal Constituency; 14 PHC Clinics; 3 No. Police Posts; 264 Hand Pumps and Motorised Boreholes; 6 Town Halls and Skills Acquisition Centres; 24 Palaces and Offices; Paid WAEC, NECO and JAMB fees; Donation of 3 Joint Secure Patrol Vehicles; 9.8 km Pankshin township road project; 9.6 km Dengi township road project; Gagdi Water Scheme; Rehabilitation of Gungji-Shiwer-Dokpai road through FERMA, amongst others. The compendium of achievements is almost inexhaustible as he keeps moving at high frequency and wavelength.
To say the least, Rt. Hon. Gagdi has impeccable legislative credentials, garnered over the years through uncommon legislative finesse. At a point he became the member of the 9th National Assembly to have sponsored two private member's bills assented to by the President. So far he has sponsored 7 Bills, 6 of which have been signed into law. To his credit are the following: Federal University of Education Pankshin Act 2021; Police Act 2020; Federal College of Education Dengi Act 2021; etc. Rt. Hon. Gagdi has secured the commission and recruitment of many Plateau State youths into the Navy including over 350 youths employed into Federal MDAs.
In his place of primary assignment which is the Green Chambers, he chairs the strategic standing Committee on the Nigeria Navy and in adhoc capacity he also recently chaired the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Probe of activities of Federal MDAs; an assignment he undertook with due diligence. His groundbreaking achievements in public service are without any scintilla of political grandstanding, but are for the common good. To buttress this, it is right to rather quote him: "It is really exciting to see that you are the reason why thousands of people are smiling". This is a punchline in the principle of humanistic leadership.
Furthermore, Gagdi's acts of philanthropy are glowing across the State and his Constituency. It is little wonder that his Gagdi Support Foundation Office through which he doles out his philanthropic gestures at Yingi, Rayfield, Jos remains a beehive of activities for the young and the old, the weak and the strong, cutting across party lines and religious affiliations. He makes it a point of duty to always flood his constituency with periodic largesse: food items (rice, maize and millet, sugar, milk, palm oil, cows and sheep) for consumption especially during Christmas and Sallah festivities including some life-saving Empowerment Programmes through: distribution of cash gifts: vehicles, motorcycles, water pumps, sewing and grinding machines, as well as bundles of zinc and mattresses to flood victims in his Constituency. Gagdi's magnanimity is infectious.
For his magnanimous gestures to humanity he is rated so high in community service that he has been severally conferred with high-profile chieftaincy titles such as the Dan Malikin Kanam and Baraden Gámai by the Emir of Kanam and the Long Gámai of Shendam respectively both of who are 1st Class Chiefs. He is the Sardaunan Bogghom and the Sarkin Yakin Dawaki, including his conferment with the prestigious national award of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the then President Muhammadu Buhari.These are laurels of great socio-political signification.
At the risk of sounding panegyric, I am compelled to say that Gagdi has carved a niche for himself in service to humanity. He has done it and he is still doing it. Due to his survival instincts, Gagdi is the proverbial cat with nine lives; this is courtesy his propensity for surviving the stalking booby traps of opponents. In leadership circles, "Babayo" stands out as a shining star in a galaxy. He has, through his superlative performance and impactful achievements, continued to stun his ardent critics and opponents who have formed the habit of unjustifiably throwing brickbats at him. He understands that sharp criticism and scurrilous attacks are one of the prices of leadership. Many political pundits can attest to this fact. Underrate Gagdi at your peril. It is better to overrate him than underrate him.
To concede that Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi has gross sensitivity to key national security and socio-economic issues is not an exaggeration. Four days ago, on Wednesday 6th June 2024, at Plenary he moved a matter of urgent national public importance regarding incessant attacks.and killings in some parts of his Federal Constituency and the whole of Plateau State. He also vocally contributed to the debate on the recent nationwide strike by Organised Labour and urged the National Minimum Tripartite Committee to work assiduously towards ironing out grey areas. His contributions and debates are often direct and the attack the issues dispassionately.
Finally, as a young man of 44 years, this Federal Lawmaker has, through exemplary and pace-setting leadership, demystified the "too-young-to run" clichê.That the Gagdi phenomenon, powered by Constituents, admirers, friends and support groups, is truly a new inspiration in service is therefore not in doubt. With "Babayo" Gagdi as a worthy representative, PKK stands to get a fair deal, if not the fairest of deals, unparalleled in the nearly 30-year history of its delineation as a Federal Constituency. For this great Politician, trained Economist and Security Expert, the sky is the only limit. As Rt. Hon. Gagdi positions himself for more achievements in the next three years, mine is to say kudos to a great achiever!
*fidelislongban@gmail.com*
*Monday 10/06/2024*
