Gombe 2015: Between local politicians and technocrats

Having started positively, the administration is seen as people-oriented and a complete shift from its predecessor’s, which was militant in nature and vindictive. On coming to power in 2011, Governor Dankwambo met a pathetic situation in which virtually all the development sectors in the state were in a deplorable state that experienced years of neglect.He […]

Having started positively, the administration is seen as people-oriented and a complete shift from its predecessor’s, which was militant in nature and vindictive. On coming to power in 2011, Governor Dankwambo met a pathetic situation in which virtually all the development sectors in the state were in a deplorable state that experienced years of neglect.
He started by setting up ‘Needs Assessment’ committees that went round the state to assess possible intervention and sectors that needed urgent attention. Those identified included the health and education sectors. In fact, the two sectors were in a very pathetic state and needed urgent attention. In one of the girls’ school visited, immediately after he was sworn in, Governor Dankwambo could not hold his tears, as students were seen sleeping on mattresses placed on top of stones because the hostel roof was leaking and the rooms were flooded. No single room has a bed in that hostel. This made him to design programmes meant to address these identified problems.
In that he did very well. However, with 2015 in focus, the governor’s attention has now shifted from development programmes to satisfying local politicians. As with all states in Nigeria, Gombe State has two set of politicians: those who are seen as progressives and technocrats, on one side; and the local politicians, on the other. Progressives and technocrats see politics as a means to an end while for the local politicians politics is an occupation. Dankwambo falls within the first category, and he came with a determination to change things. Few days into his administration, these local politicians started shouting that the man is “bokoristic” for their liking.
Recent events have shown that the man is afraid of these so-called local politicians.
It is wrong for any government to politicize traditional institutions. Even though so many wrongs were perpetrated in the last 14 years that include deposition of emirs and emirates, to bring back the issue now is wrong.
At this material time, Gombe State has a lot of problems that needed urgent attention. And getting involved in deposing emirs is not one of them. In fact, the whole idea of having more than three emirates in a state like Gombe is very wrong. The amount of money the state is spending in maintaining these emirates is enough to build one standard secondary school and a health facility in each of the emirates.
Therefore, instead of focusing on historical crises of ruling houses, I think the administration should focus more on executing projects that can lift our people from the shackles of poverty and illiteracy.
This will make him leave a legacy unparalleled to any of his predecessors.
More importantly, he should not allow few people to spoil what he already built in the past two-and-a-half years.

Kabiru Danladi Lawanti, Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.