Jigawa state, aptly termed “The New World ” is endowed with tremendous natural and human resources. However, harnessing the resources had been an issue until recently.It was amid a strong yearning for a leader who would appropriately harness the resources that the people of Jigawa state on May 29 2023, witnessed the elevation of Mallam Umar A Namadi,FCA as it 5th civilian governor.
Unregrettably, for the people of Jigawa state, it has been in tandem with the ancient Italian saying that “the right man comes at the right season”. Governor Umar Namadi came into office with a clear vision to develop the state based on his revolutionary development blueprint tagged “Development Agenda for Greater Jigawa which was premised on speedy development through prudent management of human and material resources. Taking deliberate steps to ensure realization of the stated objectives, the governor has been working assiduously towards a leaner, efficient, prudent, responsive and, above all, competent bureaucracy.
Over the last 30 days, Governor Namadi has become a metaphor of administrative excellence with the appointment of key officials and establishment of Jigawa State Empowerment/Employment Agency. The pace of development in the state has underlined the administration’s determination to transform Jigawa into an enviable state beyond the expectations of the people. The Dan Modi administration has been focused and efficient to offer fulfillment for the people in every facet of human life.
During the period under review, it has been observed that the administration of Namadi is indeed an open one. This is for the reason that people are always at liberty to hold an audience with the governor and acquaint him with their problems either individually or collectively and subsequently their problems are given attention and in most cases urgent problems are solved within a snap of a finger. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Governor Namadi is a man of his words and amazingly bold: he means every word he says and goes by it. His statements are never taken for granted as they are astonishingly translated into action for the good of the people.
In his inaugural speech, he declared, “Let me also from the onset, state most emphatically that we hold this mandate as sacred trust entrusted to us to deliver the will of the people in the most responsive manner. The mandate is sacrosanct. It is a compact between us and the people of Jigawa State. Accordingly, we now stand obligated to continue to deliver the legitimate yearnings and aspirations of the people. Let me therefore assure the people of Jigawa State that we will religiously adhere to the discharge of this mandate. We will govern with transparency, accountability, inclusion, prudence, responsiveness and above all, with the fear of Allah to Whom we will all ultimately be held accountable”.
Mallam has demonstrated an uncommon spirit in his revolutionary drive of transforming the entire institutional framework of governance , employing in its wake, the reports of various transition committees whose articulated roadmap and blueprint have accounted for the phenomenal developments landmarks widely acclaimed by political pundits as best-ever in the state’s history.
Against this backdrop, Jigawa State State Government under the leadership of Governor Namadi has been aggressively been pursuing a well-articulated vision of aspiring to be a leading a Nigerian state with prosperous, healthy and well educated citizens living in harmony with people and nature and pursuing their legitimate interests in freedom moderated by good governance. Explicit in this unique vision is a proven roadmap of where we are, where we want to be and how to get there. The above agenda articulated by Mallam Umar is of course a rare sign of foresight in governance.
With his performance in just a few days on the saddle, Namadi has earned the trust and confidence of many people. He is charting a new course of state and his work simply speaks for him.There is a general consensus that the government is working for the good people of Jigawa. According to Namadi, “Jigawa State aspires to build a broad-based, dynamic and competitive economy that ensures the prosperity and well-being of its citizens and secures its children, given its varied natural resources, tourism endowment and demonstrable political will, its potential for real and sustained growth is not in doubt”.
Earlier in the life of the administration, Namadi identified the mindset of the human element as material in the building of the Jigawa state of his dream. The new Jigawa paradigm is properly articulated re-orientation initiative, aimed at preparing the people to face the challenges of the new thinking consistent with the government’s renewal agenda. In Jigawa today he has secured an orientation shift that promotes “business unusual” policy as a veritable platform to build a state as envisioned by Governor Namadi.
There is no doubt that many aspects of development by individuals and nations have been fired and propelled by vision which is regarded as an indispensable ingredient and catalyst in the dynamics of human existence. This is why Woodrow Wilson once emphasized that “no one that does not see vision will ever realize any high hope or undertake any high enterprise”, a pragmatic statement reinforced by that of Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “Where there is no vision, a people perish”.
Namadi is transforming the state into a hub of activities within the shortest possible time. He has given the Jigawa person a new sense of identity –one that is based on the “can –do” spirit and a deep appreciation of his place in the Nigerian scheme of things .He has shown that government can indeed be a force for good and that a peoples’ spirit can be lifted and the wings of their dreams can soar above and beyond conventional thought and beliefs. He is working totally impervious to the challenges of the moment: seeing the bigger picture of how his state would benefit from his relentless contribution.
Danyaro, a media and public relations specialist, writes from Wuse 2, Abuja via [email protected]
