By Yusuf Suleiman
It is becoming clearer how Governor Muhammed Badaru Abubakar intends to govern Jigawa state as governor. Abubakar’s emergence was least expected largely due the “incumbency factor” and the anointing of a grassroots politician Aminu Ibrahim of the defunct ruling PDP. Many thought it would be impossible for him to abandon his business for the service Jigawa people. Others believed Dr Sule Lamido has succeeded in raising the bar in leadership in Jigawa through provision of critical infrastructure. Lamido’s critics, however, condemn his policies due the poverty ravaging the people.
They say Lamido’s policies are centred around the beautification of towns and villages and expansion of roads and other physical infrastructure to the detriment of the mainstay of the people – agriculture. The Abubakar government has promised to correct this anomaly.
Abubakar’s articulation of Jigawa challenges in his inaugural address has raised hope of many and charted course for his leadership. His administration, he said, would be anchored on job creation, poverty eradication and agricultural development. He said a deliberate policy must be put in place to move Jigawa state from oil dependency to a viable state with economic and industrial prospects. This, according to him, could be achieved by transforming farming from the current subsistence to a mechanised system. He said he would soon release his roadmap on agriculture-based economy through incentives regime to investors in the sector.
To match words with action, Governor Abubakar’s first major outing was the visit to moribund independent power project (IPP) initiated by former Governor Ibrahim Saminu Turaki aimed at generating 4mw of electricity to Dutse metropolis. He ordered its turnaround within one month.
A week after, the governor again paid an unscheduled visit to the IPP site where he was briefed by the Chairman of Jigawa State Rural Electricity Board, Engr Abdulkadir Nakore. Nakore said when completed, the project would guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply to the state capital.
The governor’s third week in office was even more significant, considering the beehive of activities that took place. First was a parley with senior civil servants on burning issues that would transform the service to be proactive and responsive to the challenge of new policy direction of government.
Abubakar was clear on what his expectations – obedience, dedication, efficiency, accountability and improvement on internally generated revenue. He also demanded a civil service that is proactive to the yearning and aspirations of the people; a civil service that is beyond parochial and regional considerations. To that effect, the governor directed the setting up of an eight-man advisory committee the aforementioned objectives.
On the same week, he also ordered the immediate implementation of free education to include the male child; an improvement from his predecessor’s policy of free girls education.
However, the highpoint in the three-week under review of the administration was the hosting of the richest African, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, in Dutse. Dangote’s business visit to Jigawa state was the second of its kind since the inauguration of new adminstration in Nigeria. He first visited Lagos where he is establishing a 600,000 petrochemical refinery, fertiliser blending plant.
In Jigawa state, Dangote reiterated his resolve to continue his investment in rice, sugar, power generation, ethanol production and animal feed. The business mogul said his Jigawa investment would provide over 200,000 direct jobs with estimated production of 2m tons of sugar, 377m litres of ethanol, 650mw of electricity and 1.5m tons of animal feeds per year. The rice investment portfolio is $180m.
Dangote maintained that the best way to tackle poverty and provide jobs to our teeming unemployed youth as well as achieve economic stability and food security is by focusing on agriculture. He said that oil will soon become a liability to a country like Nigeria of the discovery alternative energy sources and declining demand by major consumers like US and China. He said that the earlier Nigeria diversifies its economy the better for its survival as in the next couple of years oil would no longer have any value. Dangote’s exposition was an endorsement that the Abubakar administration’s policy direction is on track and must be pursued vigorously.
At this juncture, I urge supporters of both Governor Abubakar and Lamido to stop beating the drums of war. Yes, the Dangote project was initiated during the Lamido government, but the assurances of Dangote to continue the investments could not have come at a better time. This because the Abubakar government’s policy thrust is the diversification of the Jigawa state’s economy through development of agriculture and agro-allied industries.
Certainly, both Lamido and Abubakar deserve our accolade. They have made jigawa state proud. Soon, poverty and unemployment would disappear and prosperity will take its place in our dear state. Therefore, who is a saint between former Governor Lamido and the incumbent Governor Abubakar? They are all our leaders and deserve our respect.
Suleiman is an Editorial and Media Relation Officer, Government House, Dutse