The Nation Newspaper11 Nov 2022
Why court sacked Danladi, declared me Taraba north APC senatorial candidate – Ali Kona
Marafa Bashir Abba
APCLOST
Summary
Marafa Bashir Abba is a Nigerian politician who contested the 2023 Nigerian Senate Elections as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Taraba.
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Biography
Marafa Bashir Abba is a Nigerian politician and public administrator from Nguroje, Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State. Born in the same locality, he attended Central Primary School, Nguroje, and Government Day Secondary School, Jada, before obtaining a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Accountancy from Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.
Before entering politics, Abba worked with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), gaining experience in banking and administration. He served in the Taraba State House of Assembly from 2003 to 2011, representing the Nguroje Constituency, and was Deputy Speaker from 2005 to 2011.
In 2015, he was elected as Senator for Taraba Central in the 8th National Assembly but served only for six months, from May to November 2015, before being unseated by the Court of Appeal. He later served as Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to the Taraba State Government and was appointed Chairman of the Taraba State Tourism Board.
Currently, Abba is a Federal Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), following his nomination by President Bola Tinubu and confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.
Party Positions
Policy positions from the All Progressives Congress (APC) party manifesto.
Security & Defense
Enhances compensation, medical care, housing support, scholarships, stipends, and health insurance for military personnel injured in duty and their families.
Governance & Reform
Commits to amending Nigeria’s governance architecture through constitutional review and collaboration with the National Assembly and State Governments to grant States greater autonomy over critical matters like crime prevention, prisons, stamp duties, and taxation.
Economy & Trade
Reforms the Federal Budgetary Methodology to move away from oil revenue dependence and base spending on projected growth, establishing an inflationary ceiling to optimize fiscal policy without causing excessive inflation.
Infrastructure
Launches a National Infrastructure Campaign to modernize national infrastructure by hiring millions of unemployed Nigerians through the fiscal flexibility gained from reforming budgetary methodology.
Agriculture
Will encourage local farmers to form farm cooperatives, enabling them to pool resources for modern farming equipment, fertiliser, and access priority government agricultural assistance programs (extension services), with tax breaks and credits.
Environment & Climate
Will **reduce Nigeria’s gas flaring** by removing it from the top 10 countries with highest flares, aiming to maximize sector benefits while eliminating environmental harm.
Anti-corruption
Curb reliance on imported goods via luxury taxes, higher tariffs, and processing fees while incentivizing local manufacturing with tax credits/rebates.
Enterprise grant support
Provides tax credits, holidays, and reduced interest rate loans for businesses that hire a specified percentage of youth in their workforce and offer on-the-job training.
Energy
Will increase Nigeria’s domestic crude oil production to **2.6 million barrels per day by 2027** and **4 million barrels per day by 2030**, while implementing a Special Enforcement and Monitoring Unit to deter theft, vandalism, and pipeline breaches using drones and aerial surveillance.
Education
Introduces a new management system for federally funded primary and secondary schools via Boards of Education, reserving community representation in decision-making.
Healthcare
Will strengthen primary healthcare infrastructure with incentive schemes, counterpart funding programs, and grassroots preventative care (vaccinations, cancer screening, blood pressure monitoring) in collaboration with state/local governments.
Technology & Digital
Establishment of an advisory committee to review and reform regulatory frameworks for blockchain technology and virtual asset services.
Reliefs and scholarships
Provides **conditional income support** to very poor households, tied to human capital development goals like high-school attendance, healthcare, and nutrition.
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Sources
Bio, Photo, State of Origin: Wikipedia ↗