KAMALE 12-YEARS RECORD: COMRADE USA KWAHA CHALLENGES VIRAL ‘35 BENEFICIARIES’ CLAIM

By Shetima Afartiya | Yola

Former intended Labour Party governorship aspirant from Michika, Comrade Usa Kwaha, has challenged viral claims suggesting that former lawmaker Hon. Adamu Kamale empowered or facilitated opportunities for only 35 people during his years in public office.

Kwaha said the figure of 35 being circulated on social media should not be interpreted as the total number of people who benefited from Kamale’s interventions, arguing that the former lawmaker facilitated more recruitments, appointments, empowerment initiatives and development interventions during his years in public service.

According to Kwaha, the figure of 35 cited in the controversy relates specifically to Kamale’s four-year tenure in the House of Representatives between 2015 and 2019, rather than his entire period in public office.

Kwaha further explained that the list of 35 beneficiaries was drawn from a 16-page record of achievements reportedly presented by Kamale during his campaign for a second term in the National Assembly.

Speaking on the issue, Kwaha urged political commentators and media organisations to examine Kamale’s record comprehensively rather than reducing more than a decade of public service to a single figure drawn from one period of his political career.

«“The 35 individuals being referenced on social media represent gainful recruitment into the Federal Civil Service and public sector, facilitated while he served in the House of Representatives between 2015 and 2019,” Kwaha said.»

He questioned why the employment figure was being singled out without, in his view, considering other empowerment initiatives attributed to Kamale.

Kwaha said these included the provision or facilitation of buses, Keke NAPEP tricycles and other forms of support for constituents, which he argued should form part of any comprehensive assessment of Kamale’s empowerment record.

He maintained that Kamale facilitated opportunities for more than the 35 people being referenced and argued that his record should also be assessed against his wider interventions during his years in the Adamawa State House of Assembly and the National Assembly.

Beyond His Years in Office

Kwaha further argued that Kamale’s contribution to development in Michika should not be assessed solely through the period when he held elected office.

According to him, Kamale has continued to influence development initiatives in Michika even after leaving office. Kwaha specifically cited the Michika–Garta–Kamale Road, which he said has improved connectivity, transportation and commercial activities across the area.

According to Kwaha, the road has strengthened the movement of people and goods and contributed to economic activity within the communities it serves.

Kwaha also cited several other projects and interventions which he attributed to Kamale, including water schemes, primary healthcare facilities, market development, post-conflict reconstruction, and support for women and youth enterprises across the constituency.

He said reducing Kamale public-service record to the figure of 35 risks giving the public an incomplete picture of his years of service.

Kwaha called for a broader and evidence-based assessment of Kamale’s record, saying constituents should be presented with the full range of interventions attributed to the former lawmaker rather than a single aspect of his constituency activities.