By Abubakar Ahmed
Kashim Musa Tumsah, MFR, an Oil and Gas lawyer, Diplomat and a Farmer is challenging our collective conscience in Yobe State, Northeast Nigeria by investing in Human Capital and infrastructural development , as well as silently empowering the people across the state.
In the Northern region where political office holders elected by the people to better their lots only turned around to enrich themselves and family members,where wealthy individuals selfishly erect walls and shield themselves from their poverty stricken environment, the Tumsah’s challenge should prick our collective conscience.
Tumsah a former Executive Director and Secretary of the Joint Ministerial Council of the Nigeria/Sao Tome and Principe, Joint Development Authority, rallied his friends and associates to light up Yobe with solar street lights, under his Operation light up Yobe project, providing access to portable water through Solar powered boreholes , empowering the youths, bringing succour to the poor and vulnerable during this sacred month of sacrifice among other interventions.
Ravaged across many decades by insurgency activities with massive destruction of infrastructure, social amenities and exacerbated poverty level among its people, Yobe like other states in the North where the anomaly pervades requires interventions by well-meaning, influential and well-to-do members of the society.
However, such intentions are hardly forthcoming, and a few who ventured to reach out with pockets of activities, do so for pecuniary interest requiring cheap publicity making demi gods in themselves.
What is more worrisome is the fact that leaders and elected representatives are less concerned about the region’s development and empowerment of its citizens and even the youths who they use constantly to fester their nests during political campaigns despite the huge annual constituency projects budgetory provisions.
Such leaders and representatives would rather want the masses especially the youths to remain subservients and dependent on them. In return, they give them the crumbs from the dinner tables while their families live in affluence.
It is the unfortunate circle which has retarded human and infrastructural development of the region over time.
Due to this unfortunate trend, the poverty statistics keep rising against the region with our state capitals besieged by beggars all of northern extraction.
Our streets are clustered by thousands of out-of-school children, while the enrollment rate remains low even as the almajirai syndrome has become the region’s sore thumb.
This is the more reason why interventions such as that championed by Tumsah and his friends elicit excitement among many not just in his home state of Yobe but even beyond.
The interventions in recent times , began in Bursari LGA with installation of solar powered lights in strategic locations including across Tsangaya and Islamiyya schools, primary and secondary schools, areas where legal community activities take place, market areas and shops.
His “Operation Light Up Yobe Initiative” which he intends to replicate across the state is complementing the power supply effort of Governor Mai Mala Buni’s administration which has made a lot of imprint in the state.
Tumsah and his friends have also been providing portable water to some communities in the state through solar powered boreholes with large overhead tanks.
Based on popular demands, communities which include Jurguya, Maji kakuri, Malumti, Mashayan Gawo amd Mallam Wuriya have benefited from the first phase of the water supply initiative.
The Tumsah team have also purchased Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) forms for atleast ten prospective applicants from indigent families randomly selected across each of the 17 local government areas of the state to ensure that lack of resources for these bright students does not hinder them from furthering their education for their benefit and future national growth.
Tumsah’s magnanimity also came to play during the ongoing Ramadan fast by supporting feeding in designated mosques across the state while also distributing rice to the poor and vulnerable families where foods and beverages are supplied daily at the designated places for the faithful to break their fast with relative ease and comfort.
He has also been assisting victims of insurgency activities in Yobe and neighbouring Borno State. For instance, In September 2024, he galvanized his friends to make a very generous contribution to insurgency victims in Tarmuwa local government area of Yobe State to support government efforts towards minimizing the devastating effects of the insurgency attacks in that Local Government Area.
He is also reaching out to Yobe indigenes and other individuals in Abuja while building contacts of former classmates and course mates at different levels and times of his education and assisting some of the indigent ones in their times of need.
Tumsah takes time to visit hospitals in order to sympathise with patients, pay their bills where necessary and give other succour to them.
This coy gentleman has continued to amaze many people who are privileged to come into contact with him be it deliberately or by accident compelling us to desire more of his type for the general good of the society. May Allah continue to guide and protect this Gentleman and many others like him who make deliberate efforts to give back to the society that made them.
Ahmed is a public affairs analyst based in Katsina