BAGO: From Legislative Career to Executive Chair in Niger State
By Bello Shehu Maude
AREWA AGENDA – Umar Mohammed Bago, an Ex-Banker, Nigerian politician who is a devoted lawmaker at the House of Representatives level, currently contesting for Governorship in Niger State.
Umar Mohammed currently serves as the Federal Representative representing Chanchaga constituency in the 9th National Assembly where he is serving as a third-term member with a track record of charismatic representation more interested in Education, Marine Transport, Works M.D.G, and Appropriation.
Bago was born on 22nd February 1974 in Minna, Niger State, to a Nupe family. He attended Marafa Primary School, Minna and Federal Government College (FGC), Jos where he obtained his West Africa School Certificate. He earned Bachelor Degree in Political Science at Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto.
Bago has obtained several postgraduate Diplomas and Master’s Degrees, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Federal University of Technology Minna in 2001, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Economics at the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, in 2003, and a Master’s Degree in Finance at the University of Calabar in 2005. He is also a distinguished alumnus of Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in 2014.
He worked with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Afri-Bank PLC respectively. He serves as Manager at First City Monument Bank. He later joined politics in 2007.
Being a Federal House of Representative Member he wholeheartedly served on various committees in the House such as Chairman at Co-operation and Integration in Africa Committee, He chairs the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration. He urged the NIMASA to spend money wisely in a good preparation process in the interest of accountability and transparency.
Bago equally serves as a Federal House of Representative committee member of Anti-Corruption, Member at Education (Basic & Secondary) joint Committee (Senate), Committee Member at Banking & Currency, Member at Media and Public Affairs Committee, Member at National Planning and Economic Development Committee among others.
As a devoted and dedicated member of the Federal House of Representative, Bago have been able to move the following bills and motions for the national interest as well as his constituents:
The Bills he sponsored were Statutory Corporations (Pensionable officers) Retiring age limit (Ammendment) Bill 2016, Nigerian Dock Labour Act (Ammendment Bill) 2017, Corporate Bodies (Members Emolument) Bill 2016, UBE Act (Ammendment) Bill, 2016.
He also co-sponsored Education Tax Fund (Ammendment) Bill, National Housing Fund (Repel & Re-enactment) Bill 2017, South East Development Commission Bill 2017 to mention but few.
Read Also:
Some of the motions Hon. Bago table at the Federal House of Representative were: Urgent need to investigate the alleged theft of over N2 Billion Naira at the Nigerian Security Printing And Minting Company, Motion on the outbreak of cholera in Chanchaga Federal Constituency 2012, Rehabilitation, Resuscitation, Recovery and development of North east of Nigeria. Co-Sponsored, Need to investigate Import Duty Revenue, waived & bonds. Co-sponsored, Investigation of the Federal Ministry of Interior and the immigration services for the outsourcing of expatriate residency management and border facilities. Co-sponsored.
Need to adhere to some provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) in the implementation of Presidential directive of additional recruitment of 10,000 officers into the Nigerian Police Force. Co-sponsored, Request for an Extension of time to enable the ad-hoc committee set up to interface with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and other stakeholders on Exorbitant fares proposed for 2017 Hajj Exercise to conclude its assignment.
He ran in the 9th National Assembly, contesting for Speaker House of Representatives of Nigeria. While speaking on his Speakership ambition and why the North Central zone of Nigeria must produce the next speaker. He sai,d “I am in this race because of this inequity that the North-Central has suffered for over 20 years.” He later confirmed that that if the APC had zoned the speaker’s position to the South-East he would not have bothered to run for the office. He stated, “I won’t back down, I just want to correct the mistake of the party leaders by opinion of zonings.” Such a bold decision by Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago. He came second to Femi Gbajabiamila.
Umar Mohammed Bago has won Niger governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress(APC) with 540 votes. His closest opponent, Idris Malagi got 386 votes while Sani Ndanusa scored 84 votes.
In his blue print to govern Niger State, Bago come up with nine (9) Synopsis Agenda for rapid development of Niger State. Among the synopsis are; Good Governance, Security, Economy (Agriculture, Solid Mineral & Port Dev), Modern Infrastructure, Industrialization, Education, Health, Tourism & Culture and the backbone of globalization which is Science & Technology.
In relation to dividend of democracy Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago supported more than 1000 students with JAMB form to improve the qualitative education in his constituency, He also distributed 11 trailer loads of rice to his constituency as a palliative during COVID-19 pandemic period. Bago equally distributed eight thousand bags of grains and four thousand (4,000) cartons of Indomie to displaced persons in Shiroro, Bosso, Rafi and Munya Local Government.
Prior to the 2019 General Election Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago distributed 100 cars to support the campaign of Niger State Governor Mohammed Sani Bello and the Presidential Campaign of Muhammadu Buhari respectively. In 2021 Bago empowered women across Niger State with Deep Freezers and N50,000 cash gifts irrespective of political or religious inclination.
