Dist. SEN. AHMAD BABBA KAITA HAVE THESE MESSAGE FOR YOU

“Your distinguished senator no longer picks his calls nor respond to text messages. He is no longer accessible to those who would not go to grovel and prostrate at his feet.” Above is a discourteous and unkind text message I received from somebody experienced enough to know the enormous pressure of holding a public office having held reasonably “pressurized” public offices in a career spanning decades in the public sector. I wouldn’t have bothered making an issue of the message but for for my bewilderment with the excessive expression of deliberate and mischievous ignorance about the capacity and limitations of occupants of elected public offices. My decision to openly respond to the private message above was not meant to embarrass the sender hence, my refusal to disclose his identity. My motive is to deny the sender any room for mischief to create disharmony in the political community of the Daura senatorial zone. First of all, I expect a man of his standing to understand that its practical impossible for any occupant of the office of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to keep track of his/her text messages and phone calls. Within 30 minutes of clearing my calls and messages, I usually receive as much as I cleared from the log. I make it a duty to go through my calls and messages each night before I sleep and that’s dealing with about up to 500 messages and just as much missed voice calls. The purpose is to check important messages and respond accordingly. Going by this, it’s reasonable to see that when somebody call or send me a text message which I missed, it requires further investigation before I’m passed off as somebody who doesn’t answer phone calls or respond to text messages. It’s quite selfish for one to assume he’s the only one seeking my attention. For avoidance of doubt, I’m fully conscious of my responsibility as a representative of the people. I spend more time in my senatorial zone than I spend in Abuja. I fail to see how picking phone calls or answering text messages would be difficult to me when visiting my zone and mingling with the people I represent isn’t difficult for me. I’m particularly amazed by the sender of the message because he is somebody we related very well with. For the nearly 8 years I served as Member representing Kankia/Ingawa/Kusada, he never had reason to accuse me of snubbing him. What will it take him to understand that unlike before, my constituency is not 3 LGs but 12 LGs which automatically would quadruple my volume of calls and text messages. It’s quite unkind to expect me, as human, to be able to respond to the volume of calls and messages in my phone when the constant ringing of my phone would allow me to use it in silent mode only. I knew of public office holders who don’t have phones just to avoid pressure. I use 2 phones and move around with fully charged back-up batteries and fully charged power bank just not to run out of power and keep in touch with people. Let me use this opportunity to solicit for understanding and appreciation of the enormous responsibility on my shoulder. Not answering your call doesn’t mean I’m not answering calls. It simply means I’m not disposed to answer. May Allah SWT bless us with the courage and patience to discharge our responsibilities in the best manner possible to be fair to all. Jazakallah!