“He that would govern others, first should be the master of himself.”- Philip Massinger (1583 – 1640) English playwright.
The coliseum of politics sees all sorts of gladiators. Some of them battle their enemies with the bow and arrow of argument. Some employ the trident of backstabbing and bribery. Some even choose the blunt, broken sword of doing the Right Thing. But sometimes, just sometimes, a politician gleefully ignores all the conventional weaponry and wins the battle by slapping the enemy down with the rubber chicken of batshit insanity”. The above statement by Xavier Jackson on the insane political strategies aptly captures some obvious incongruous political strategy being employed by some political forces presently in Kaduna state.
Politics and governance are two sides of same democracy coin. It is a rectangular form of relationship that places democracy at the top with politics and governance at the bases. The closer each gets towards the top, the better dividends of democracy are assured.
However, one of the most difficult tasks inherent in the present democratic dispensation is how to separate governance from politics. People hardly know the miniature line that separates politics from governance or service delivery.
The personality and capacity of occupant of an office manifest solely by his ability to deliver grassroots oriented policies. This brings us to open ended questions: What does it take to be a successful politician, especially in Nigeria? On the other hand, what does it take to be a good administrator or human and natural resources manager? Answers to these questions lie somewhere but only if we appreciate the compass that will lead us there.
The professional backgrounds of Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna state as an accountant and a manager of resources have culminated into a water tight financial control measure in the state. His insistence on prudence may have pitched him against a system that encourages using public funds for political patronage. A system that encourages playing to the gallery at the expense of the people.
I am not a fan of Yero based on the fact that I am one of those who are very critical of his political party – People Democratic Party (PDP). However, I have observed how the young man is trying to redefine service delivery in the state. He has been able to activate public service institutions like KAPWA and concentrate on massive infrastructural developments through well-defined policies. The 2014 Kaduna state budget where 37 percent goes for recurrent with 63 earmarked for capital project underscores his vision for the state. Details of this will be thoroughly analyzed in second part of this piece.
What does it take to successfully govern a complex state like Kaduna? It requires experience, dedication, religious tolerance, diplomacy with a little dose of firmness, honesty, broad mindedness and intellectual capacity to differentiate between politics and governance. Does Governor Ramallan Yero possess the above attributes? Put differently, so far, has the Kaduna governor demonstrated that he possesses such attributes? The answer lies in-between the relative peace and harmony witnessed in most parts of the state.
Ibrahim Gambo,
Sokoto Road, Kakuri Kaduna