Every aspect of social and economic life in Sokoto state, North-west Nigeria, is no doubt feeling the rising tempo of infrastructural development by the Governor Ahmed Aliyu administration. Here is, indeed, a classic example of transformative leadership. Scores of highly impactful projects have been completed, many are ongoing, all helping to expand citizens’ access to quality education, healthcare, quality water supply, affordable housing, transportation and improved agricultural productivity, among others.
Religion, which occupies a pride of place in the lives of the people of the Seat of the Caliphate, is receiving all necessary attention by the people’s desires. After all, governance is all about listening to the expressed needs and aspirations of the people, and allocating available resources most appropriately, to meet those needs. Governor Aliyu has embarked on the ambitious construction and renovation of mosques, sank boreholes and installed solar power which have made worshipping more delightful.
There has also been a noticeable improvement in security, which is another area of serious challenge, especially in the eastern part of the state- the border with Zamfara state. The relative improvement in this sector arose from increased effort and better alignment of the federal security agencies, in addition to massive support from a state governor who is not only alive to his constitutional responsibilities but ever ready to go the extra mile to help secure his citizens. The governor has his eyes constantly fixed on improving the security of the state.
Whichever way you look, there is something to celebrate. In security, for instance, there is a noticeable improvement as seen in reduced attacks, quicker response to reported incidents by enforcement agencies and frequent elimination of menacing bandits. The significant improvement was aided by the active support of the Dr Aliyu government which provided 130 rugged patrol vehicles, built military bases, provided logistics and established a community guard corps to help the federal security forces with intelligence gathering to help checkmate the activities of the criminals disturbing the peace of innocent citizens.
It is important to remember, especially for those always eager to berate the governors over security problems, that this area is an exclusive reserve of the federal government which controls all the security agencies. State governors can only assist, and the Sokoto government is foremost in doing so.
Indeed, Governor Aliyu, deserves a prominent spot in the league of top-performing governors in the country for his proactive approach to governance. He earned this right by delivering more than 180 impactful projects within his 18 months in office. This amounts to an average of 10 projects done and dusted every single month of the year! Prominent personalities, from within and outside the shores of Nigeria, have recognised and applauded the giant strides of this urbane governor who is determined to change the dessert landscape of Sokoto state to an oasis.
These include former President Olusegun Obasanjo who had the honour of commissioning some projects during the first anniversary of the governor; the new US Ambassador to Nigeria Richard M. Mills Jr. who appreciated the governor’s 9-point smart agenda and expressed the readiness of his home government to collaborate in areas of mutual interest, and the representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr Nami Jarulla who discussed a proposal for collaboration on issues related to religion, community development and shared interfaith values.
The impressive performance of Governor Aliyu eminently qualifies him for the several awards bestowed on him by reputable organisations. The most recent was the 2024 Urban and Housing-friendly governor award.
Like many other impartial observers of the unfolding events in Sokoto state, they saw and appreciated the messianic zeal and single-minded commitment of Governor Aliyu and his team to change the development outlook of Sokoto state for the better.
Throughout 2024, the governor drove his developmental agenda supported by his equally devoted team. They constantly engaged their gear lever in overdrive, in the understandable haste to deliver dividends of good governance to the good people of Sokoto state, after a bout of abysmal performance by the immediate-past Aminu Tambuwal regime, who twice failed in his presidential ambition.
It is not an exaggeration to insist that the present administration has visibly changed the development narrative of the state. It has made incremental improvements in the physical appearance of the Sokoto metropolis and other urban centres. In doing this, they have also made moderate but appreciable improvements in the living conditions of citizens of the state.
Some may argue that it is not yet Uhuru from poverty in Sokoto state. but the Goernor Aliyu and his team are headed in the right direction, confidently moving towards the Uhuru that we desire, a more prosperous Sokoto state, with ample livelihood opportunities for all. Many things would get a lot better at the end of his first and second terms insha Allah!
For those of us who rightly chose to applaud any instance of good governance when we see one, we must keep recounting and appreciating the giant strides of the current Sokoto state administration. As key stakeholders in the Sokoto project, we would not sit idly and watch the good works and positive image of the governor being tarnished or overshadowed by negative publicity.
Much of the negativity had emanated from the reckless and unfounded allegation by the notorious Prof Ishaq Akintola, the proprietor of a nebulous organisation called Muslim Rights Concerns (MURIC). Dirty mud has also been thrown at the person of the governor in the wake of minor incidents involving federal law enforcement officers and two misguided citizens (Umar Tureta and Hamdiyya Sidi)- the duo who variously chose to misuse their freedom of speech to either scandalise the governor and his family, or incite the public against constituted authorities. We will return to these issues.
But, despite the above and other distractions, evidently motivated by destructive political opposition, the Aliyu administration achieved more in 18 months than what his predecessor achieved in two full terms of eight wasted years. And this is because for reasons best known to him, Tambuwal basically lived out his tenure in the cosy comfort of his home in Abuja, ignoring the needs of the people who had entrusted him with the sacred mandate to govern them. It was reported that the only period he spent reasonable time in Sokoto state was during the Covid-19 pandemic, when compulsory shutdowns forced him to stay at home. On the whole, his tenure turned out to be eight years of gross indolence, leading to massive dilapidation in all sectors of life in our dear state.
Thankfully, Governor Aliyu has turned things around for the better for the people of Sokoto state. The state capital is wearing a new look, courtesy of N880 million wire fencing project designed to beautify the city, and prevent road accidents. But, rather than commend this thoughtful and people-oriented city improvement contract, the opposition camp went public with shameful lies, alleging that the city improvement contract was N3 billion, and therefore wasteful. In a commendable show of transparency, the Aliyu government placed the relevant contract document in the public domain, dispelling lies of inflated contracts, bringing shame to the naysayers, and in the process enhancing the Aliyu’s image as a prudent and transparent governor.
Dr. Aliyu’s stunning scorecard touches on all aspects of his famous 9-Point Smart Agenda. His target is to install the right infrastructure that can spur visible and measurable improvements in the key social and economic areas identified in the agenda that formed his contract with the people of Sokoto state. These are education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy and religious affairs. As an emerging guru in infrastructural development, this urbane governor and thoroughbred democrat, in less than two years, has completed 30 township roads, while 40 other road projects are ongoing across the state. Over 1,000 housing units are nearing completion.
Solar-powered street lights have been installed; lighting up the night, improving safety and bringing pleasure to the residents of Sokoto metropolis and across the 23 local government headquarters of the state. In all, the picture of the governor that has emerged is that of a leader firmly determined to make things better; a goal-getter who has actually recorded commendable improvements in the vital areas of the life of his dear state.
On education and health, an eyewitness, Bello Shehu Tamaje, reports that Dr Aliyu has recorded many achievements including the massive renovation of existing facilities and development of new ones, provision of instructional materials and timely payment of external examinations fees for students, and more. To further underscore his determination to promote education as a way of empowering the citizens to better manage all aspects of their lives, the Aliyu government allocated 25% of the 2025 budget to this sector, surpassing some of the international benchmark. Primary health centres have been renovated and made functional. New general hospitals are in the works. Other commendable health initiatives include sustained immunisation and free maternity care for pregnant women.
Sokoto state currently runs one of the most down-to-earth social welfare programmes, which is understandable in a state hosting a large number of people living in multidimensional poverty. The government has raised monthly cash transfers to persons living with disabilities to N10,000 per beneficiary, while it making cash allocations to mosques to help cater for the needs of the less privileged. Another welfsre programme is the provision of subsidised public transport systems. Buses, motorcycles and tricycles have been purchased and sold to operators at reduced rates to keep down transportation costs across the state.
Time will fail us if we continue to recount what is being done by the incumbent administration in Sokoto state on various aspects of its 9-point smart agenda aimed at ramping up the economic and social well-being of the state and citizens. There has been “significant improvement in water supply, with ongoing projects to complete major water schemes in urban and rural areas,” reports Bello Tamaje. Speedy completion of ongoing dams and other irrigation facilities, hopefully, will enhance agricultural activities across the state, improving the incomes of the farmers and contributing to food security in the country.
Ironically, while the good people of Sokoto state are celebrating the positive turnaround of events under Governor Aliyu some misguided detractors and political opponents appear sad and determined to throw spanner in the wheel of progress. Former governor Aminu Tambuwal placed the first banana peel on the pathway of Dr Aliyu by refusing to present formal handover documents to the incoming administration. When the new government seemed to have overcome the challenges, Tambuwal’s former aide, Shafi’u Umar Tureta, took it upon himself to scandalise the person and family members of the governor, using social media trolling, which is prohibited by law. Not too long after, one teenage lady, Hamdiyya Sidi, also violated the law as she tried to incite the people against the government.
When the police carried out their lawful duties by holding Umar Tureta and Hamdiyya Sidi accountable to the law, detractors of Governor Aliyu saw a reason to wrongly project the amiable and urbane gentleman as a leader intolerant of criticism. Some otherwise well-meaning persons and organisations like retired Col Dangiwa Umar and Amnesty International fell for this erroneous narrative and threw tried to tarnish the image of an innocent governor.
It is good to note that the broadsides at Dr Aliyu have subsided and that many would-be offenders have learnt their lessons: that social media trolling is prohibited and would lead to bitter consequences for the offender. Thankfully, the distractions of the Tureta and Hamdiyya Sidi provocations did not dampen the zeal of Aliyu from his transformative governance. It is commendable also that he successfully delivered the Local Government Reforms bill, over which Akintola of MURIC had raised a false alarm. In the effort to stop the bill, Akintola lied that it was a plot to dethrone the esteemed Sultan of Sokoto, something that never crossed the innocent mind of the governor.
In light of all that we are seeing, we can all share the expressed emotion of Alhaji Bello Sifawa, Secretary to Sokoto State Government, who told the governor: “Your Excellency, you have to date completed (more than) 180 projects. Sir, for the benefit of our people, I repeat that you have boldly completed (over) 180 impactful projects, and I am not talking about ongoing ones. This is certainly unprecedented, and I believe that this is just the beginning.”
Bala writes from Kaduna.
