The newly-elected governor of Zamfara state has set a task for himself bearing in mind that the expectations are high. SANUSI MUHAMMAD examines some of those tasks in this report.
On May 29 2019, Bello Muhammad Matawallen Maradun was sworn in as the elected governor of Zamfara state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a result of the Supreme Court verdict which nullified the election of All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate as winner of the 2019 general elections. By this, the apex court declared PDP as the second party with the highest votes as winner. Shortly after his inauguration, Matawalle outlined eight main points as his administration’s agenda for the development of the state in his first term as governor.
The eight point agenda includes security, agriculture, education, health care delivery, water supply, infrastructure, job and wealth creation and social services to displaced and vulnerable persons. Blueprint gathered that the governor identified these agenda specifically to ensure that the state competes with other more advanced states in the federation in terms of socio economic growth and development. He was also of the opinion that the state would enjoy the dividends of democracy in the area of provision of basic amenities that could have direct bearing on them.
SecurityHaving realised the deteriorated security situation in the state from 2011 to date brought about by the activities of cattle rustlers, armed bandits and other criminalities, Governor Matawalle, during his inaugural speech, said his administration would soon make room for peace dialogue with criminals. These are those who terrorised the state leading to the loss of over 5,000 innocent lives, rendered over 3,000 homeless, with 40,000 widows as well as loss of property like foods items, cows, among others. All of these, according to reports, belong to some innocent people in several communities across 14 local government areas of the state worth millions of naira as a result of the insecurity that also affected its socio economic potentials.
In his bid to foster peace, he also tasked the bandits to either surrender their arms and rather embrace dialogue for peace to reign supreme in the state or to be decimated by security operatives.
Only recently, the governor met President Muhammadu Buhari, the vice president, Yemi Osinbanjo and Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, in which he briefed them separately and extensively on the security situation in the state as well as some of the drastic measures being taken by his administration to address the insecurity challenges that has befallen the state. Blueprint gathered that President Buhari, his vice and the police boss all promised their total and unflinching support towards bringing the insecurity situation to an end.
AgricultureConsidering the fact that the state is widely known for its vast agricultural potentials, Governor Matawalle, during his inaugural speech, said it was disheartening that for many years, agriculture has largely remained subsistent in this part of the world. He was in particular disgusted by the fact that farmers still rely on crude tools for farming while land-holding is increasingly shrinking to the detriment of population growth. More worrisome for him was the human advances into areas hitherto farmlands.
He said his administration would take positive steps to revolutionise the sector being the main stay of the economy and the highest employer of labour. Towards that, he promised the revitalisation of Bakalori irrigation project in partnership with foreign investors to introduce palm oil tree plantation in the state, reintroduce the Zamfara agricultural revolution programme, revive and rehabilitate the state fertiliser plant, among others.
On educationAccording to him, in considerating that education is the driver of development across the globe, Governor Matawalle swung into action by declaring state of emergency on the sector. He promised to give free primary, secondary and tertiary education to the teeming school age children in the state. He also directed the ministry of education to settle the backlog of NECO and WAEC fees worth over N1.3 billion which the previous administration failed to pay.
Having also realised that indigent parents cannot afford the education if their wards about the issue of school fees, he agreed to reposition the state scholarship system with a view to serving the purpose it was meant for by adopting a revolutionary approach to overhaul the entire system.
Healthcare deliveryGovernor Matawalle also pledged to accord topmost priority to the provision of primary healthcare facilities to all local areas irrespective of remoteness. What is however remarkable about it is that he promised free health care for women and children with a view to fighting against infant and maternal morbidity and mortality rates that had bedevilled the state. He bemoaned the condition of the state on the national scale on health sector, saying it is worrisome and needs proactive measures to ameliorate it.Water supplyHe noted that the provision of potable water to both urban and rural communities will be one of the areas his administration would give top concerns in order to fight waterborne diseases that still affect people of the state.
InfrastructureConsidering that the state still lags behind since 1999 in terms of infrastructural development, the governor said he will give serious attention to the sector especially in the rural areas. This, he said would consist in the construction of more roads network, electrification, healthcare facilities, schools and housing, saying his administration would soon come up with a robust blueprint for infrastructural development that would give the state a face-lift.
Jobs and wealth creationMatawalle also reiterated his administration’s determination to explore all available potentials to provide bountiful opportunities for the teeming populace through increasing intervention in agriculture by accelerating the use of modern technology and integration of farmers with the global communities for them to have access to markets their products, modern exploration of abandoned mineral resources, revamping all skills acquisition centres across the state for entrepreneurship and self reliance particularly women and youths.
Social services to displaced and vulnerable personsAs part of his administration’s determination to lead an all inclusive government policy, he said that he will ensure the well being of the internally displaced persons who are victims of armed banditry.
He said, “Our massive intervention will be focused on forestalling an impending humanitarian catastrophe which will likely be more crushing than the current wave of armed banditry. Measures would be put in place to ensure that people return to their ancestral homes and live peacefully in harmony with one another.”
He however said there is needs to ensure prudence, accountability and good governance and for him to enjoy full support and cooperation from stakeholders in order to actualise his administration’s predetermined stated goals.
