Chief Victor Rapial Lar is the senator representing Plateau Southern Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly.? He speaks with ACHOR ABIMAJE, shortly after resuscitating five motorized boreholes in his constituency. Lar says he is wiling to partner with federal government agencies to initiate N400 million projects in 41 communities in his senatorial zone.
You were at Namu to resuscitate the motorized borehole to provide water for the people of the area after it broke down twenty years ago. What informed this?
Well, so far, so good, my vision and mission is to ensure that water supply is restored by 60 percent to all the local government areas in the southern senatorial district.? In Namu, a motorized borehole was built way back in the 80s. Initially, some power points and solar panels have been vandalized and the pumps have since stopped working. I have come in with a perfect synergy between my team and engineers from the Plateau State Water Board to ensure that water supply is restored to Namu community. Besides, I have also provided a 33KVA generator to power the borehole. As I am talking to you now, all the materials, the pumps, pipes and all the accessories are already assembled to ensure that water is pumped for the people of the area to drink when all the broken down accessory are? resuscitated. I am positive that in the next few days we will have water running for the consumption of the people of Namu, Wase, Deomak, and Langtang North Local Government Council of the southern senatorial zone.
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You are busy going around inspecting the renovation on some of the dilapidated motorized boreholes in your zone, what is the aim of embarking on such inspection?
In the first place, this is my initiative. I derive more satisfaction being there to see things myself. I also want to establish a link with the people who came in their numbers to vote me into the national assembly. I want to show them that my election is not out of place and I am not like one of those legislators that will go to Abuja and would not come back until another election year. I am 100 days old as a lawmaker in the national assembly and I am sure that I will always make myself available to them all the times. Majority of the communities in my senatorial zone will also see me around them. Above all, I want a new orientation. If you go to Deomak where we have restored water, I have tried to inculcate the tradition of setting up water management committee. If the people do not have a stake in government facilities, they will not maintain it, and look after it. Right now there is a committee that is being put in place, there are youths, women, Muslim and Christian workers; the management of that plant is in custody of that committee. Nobody will go there and steal diesel or remove any part of the plant. If there are any minor repairs that can be done I am sure the community can come be involved to rectify it without waiting for government. That I think we will ensure that these resuscitations are sustained and would serve the community for a longer time.? ?
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May we know how much you have sunk into the repairs of the plants that you have mentioned?
This is an on-going project. When I came in here, I was told that there was no water, so I thought that I will only buy pump. When I arrived here there was no power plant, I had to bring in a 33KVA generator. As the repair work progresses, the cost will be emerging. It is not certain yet how much I have spent but for these two motorized bore holes, I have spent over five million naira so far.
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What is your advice to the people living around this area?
When I repaired these boreholes, I am going back to Abuja. I am not going to drink this water. It is the community’s property that is meant to serve them. I want them to take the facilities as their own personal property. I want them to develop the habit of coming in with communal effort to take care of government property, that way they will have a stake in whatever facilities government provides, so this essentially is my piece of advice to the communities.
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You have embarked on an enormous project, a 33KVA generator in Namu, repairing of four 27KVA generator in Ba’ap, a 33KVA generator in Langtang and Wase in less than 100 days in office what should the people of your Constituency expect from you after 100 days in the business of lawmaking?
There are quite a number of things. I have just hit the ground running. The question of going to the National Assembly to study the system before commencing work for the people of my senatorial zone is not there. I am a ranking senator, I have been there before, so I have the required experienced. During my time in office I want it on record that I have restored water to Demark, Namu Kwande, Wase and Langtang North. Secondly, I want to be on record that, I have intervened and have PRTV radio and television signal received in Langtang-North and Wase.
I also want it on record that at Namu and its environs, the reach of the Shandam and Langtang substation stretches as far as the Northern Cameroon. There are quite a number of things; they may not be within 100 days. I would want it on record that I have partnered with federal government agencies that will take care of community development initiatives. As I am talking to you right now I am looking at 41 communities in my senatorial district for some projects that is worth more than 400 million naira. All will be executed in the southern senatorial zone. I am aiming at a situation where after two years, I would have finished all the assignments I need to do in four years.
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What is your advice to the youth in Plateau Southern Senatorial Zone?
I appreciate their patience. I know that there are quite a lot of them that are not gainfully employed. I am networking to see what we can do. Like I said in my manifestos every local government council in my constituency will have ICT center. I intend to build and donate at least forty computer sets with generators to them. That way, they will go for training. In no distant time, I am also networking for Namu or Quapan to have micro-finance bank. Where I can recommend some of them for facilities that will enable them go into petty trading.
I want a situation whereby four trucks loaded with tubers of yam will be harvested and transported for sale from Namu, with about 50 youths owning it. If they are self employed, the rate of crime will drastically reduce. Above all I have on ground a zonal sports festival which will involve the youths, women, elders, police, traditional rulers and everybody. By this, I want to create an enabling environment whereby communities that are very suspicious of each other will begin to interact and resolve the line of suspicion thereby reducing the tension and ensuring that peace is completely restored in every part of the southern zone.