By Kingsley Chukwuka
Member representing Pankshin/Kanke/ Kanam federal constituency at the House of Representatives (APC Plateau), Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, has said the poverty he was subjected to growing up has informed his decision to donate N160 million to the students of his constituents.
The beneficiary students are those who are due to sit for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), and the National Examination Council (NECO), for the 2022 examination year, our correspondent gathered.
Gagdi stated this on Monday, in Pankshin Local Government Council of the State while interacting with journalists, shortly after distributing Vehicles, Motorbikes and Tricycles to Chairmen of the ruling APC in his constituency and the youths of Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam.
According to him: “I have passed through poverty. I knew how I couldn’t finish SS3 at the time I was supposed to finish, because I couldn’t pay to register for WAEC and could not also pay for my school fees at different occasion.
“In 1997 when I was supposed to sit for the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), I used the money I gathered from the sales of firewood which I was supposed to use for the registration of SSCE exams to pay for my mother’s treatment who was sick at the time and nobody could come to our aid.
“Now there are many people today who are passing through similar situation, should I sleep and snore while they suffer?
“Today God has blessed me and when I think back, remembering what I use to be and the trouble I use to pass through and if I do nothing for those who are passing through similar situation, then it means I am not grateful to God.
“I also think that the people who God has used to push me to the position I am today require me to touch their lives and if I don’t, it means something is wrong with me.
“As a leader, I am a servant, people should not serve me, I should serve them and giving back to the people that elected me as a servant leader is a way of defining true leadership”, the lawmaker said.
He however promised to continue to support humanity especially the people of his constituents who have despite all odds took stands to elect him into office.