HONOURABLE SUNDAY DANIEL YISA-BOLOGI: Making A Difference in Governance

Honourable Sunday Daniel Yisa-Bologi is the council chairman of Edati Local Government Area of Niger State who is changing the negative perception about local government administration in the country with positive performance. With lean resources, he has been able to demonstrate prudence, capacity, humanity and creativity in identifying and attending to the basic needs of his people who are mostly farmers and traders.

The problem of administering local government in Nigeria is like an open wounds; everyone knows and sees it. There is the problem of financial autonomy and lean resources, a situation where they are emasculated by greedy state governors in the name of the so-called dubious “joint accounts”. This, coupled with corruption and maladministration, has continued to deny the LGs needed funds to execute capital projects to meet the immediate needs of those in the rural areas. This is why poverty, hunger and starvation remain a big issue in our polity.

It is also a fact that policies and programmes of government are poorly implemented at the local government level.

Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa., once observed that, “I come back to what I had said earlier: the policies might be there but are people benefiting from the policies? You do find that in many instances, though the policies exist, they are not having the necessary impact. That is a particular challenge in local government, because that is where all the services get delivered”. Absolutely right.

But Hon Yisa-Bologi has a unique experience. He said Niger State was lucky to have a patriotic governor, Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago, who is committed to grassroots development. Besides, he has a good working relationship with his governor, which is good for the people of Edati.

Hon Yisa-Bologi who was elected as Edati Local Government Chairman on 10th November, 2022, under the All Progressive Congress (APC) brings experience in human and material resource management and administration in party politics, public, private sectors into governance and the result is paying off handsomely. He was a banker, a financial consultant and government appointee at different periods in his life for many years.

The man was born on 15th March, 1970 and had his First School Certificate at Zuru in present Kebbi State where he had his primary education between 1975 and 1980. He proceeded to Government Teachers College, Zuru, between 1980-1984 where he obtained his Senior Secondary School Certificate; attended Ahmadu Bahago Teacher’s College, Minna, Niger State in 1985 and graduated with Teachers Certificate Grade II.

Furthermore, he got Certificate in Business Education in 1986 from Sokoto State Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi; Diploma in Account/Finance from Sokoto State Polytechnic Birnin kebbi in 1988; had his Higher National Diploma in Public Administration at the Niger State Polytechnic in 2009 and got his Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from same Institute in 2010.

He was a former staff of the former Bank of the North now Unity Bank between 1989 to 1994. He also floated his private financial consultancy service business called SACN Venture and Tele-view International Limited which provides services to the downstream sector.

In public life, Hon. Yisa-Bologi has gathered valuable experience. For instance, he served as a member of the Niger State government as Member Transition Committee, Seniour Special Assistant to Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu CON (Talban Minna) the former Governor of Niger State from 2007 to 2009, and reappointed as Senior Special Assistant, Minna Airport-City (2012-2015).

In other words, his work experience can thus be summarised as supervisor ‘B’ signatory/relief account; Bank of the North; Executive Director, SACN venture; Executive Director, Tele-view International Nigeria limited; SSA to the Governor; Chairman, Revenue and Finance Committee, Edati local government; Supervisory Councillor Special Duties; State Coordinator Lakaji (USAID programme), Executive Director, Mokwa Power Limited.

In terms of performance, the chairman has accounted for himself and his people are pleased with him. He has been passionate about bringing his people out of poverty through empowerment programmes. In just about one year, three months, his administration has made huge mark in the areas of provision of borehole water, grading of roads, renovation of basic education facilities and structures, empowering youths and women, empowering farmers, among many others.

With close to two years to the end of his administration, Hon Yisa-Bologi sure has a lot more delivery of infrastructural development in stock for his people of Edati to enjoy.