Igwe and that editors’ parley in Katsina

But alas the grief over Dimgba has been so overwhelming that nearly everyone has been too shell-shocked to tell the story of the 10th anniversary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors meeting dubbed Katsina ANEC 2014.  Since the main story has not been told there is no way the story of Governor Shema’s own success […]

But alas the grief over Dimgba has been so overwhelming that nearly everyone has been too shell-shocked to tell the story of the 10th anniversary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors meeting dubbed Katsina ANEC 2014.  Since the main story has not been told there is no way the story of Governor Shema’s own success story can also be told. Shema, we hear, has eyes for higher and better things after his tenure ends in May next year. For a politician with such an eye for the future, he sure needs, and even craves, all the plaudits he can get for some of the things he has done which deserve commendation.
But Katsina ANEC was significant in so many respects and it had so many highpoints that in spite of our lingering grief over Dimgba (who, by the way, contributed so actively at Katsina as if he knew that was going to be his last ANEC on earth) the story needs to be told.
Katsina ANEC 2014 was undoubtedly one of the best attended ANEC in recent memories. The sheer number, substance and active participation of attendees from the beginning to the end surprised even members of the organizing committee who, it was learnt, had on several occasions entertained the fear that the event would be a flop on account of the fact that Katsina was too far away from just about everywhere. Pressure, we also heard, had been mounted by some to postpone the event to a more auspicious time or relocate it to another state altogether. What is more, it was also felt that many would be scared of Nigeria’s current bugbear, the Boko Haram terrorists, who in the past had made their unwelcome presence felt in Katsina and some neighbouring states.
But to the pleasant surprise of all, Nigerian editors in their numbers and in their quality and from all corners of the country repaired to Katsina for their annual conference which was not a small re-affirmation of their faith in one united Nigeria. Katsina ANEC 2014 and its successful outcome did such a great PR job for Mother Nigeria in a way that not even the best PR firm in the world could have done. It sent a very powerful message that Nigeria was not as unsafe as it looked and that her people were united to confront their fears.
Towards the end of the 9th ANEC hosted by Delta State last year when Katsina was awarded the ‘hosting right’ for 2014, there was visible joy on the faces of those who received the ‘torch’ on behalf of Katsina. It was when we arrived in Katsina that I saw why the state government was visibly happy to host the editors. If you are not confident enough that you have done what to show-case to a group of critical professionals like journalists, you will be most reluctant to host them.
Some of the editors who knew Katsina some ten or more years ago, openly confessed that Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema has done a remarkable job of transforming Katsina from what looked only a few years ago like a glorified local government headquarters to a modern state capital with beautifully paved roads and streets, complete with solar lights in some parts to illuminate and beautify the city.
When Shema got the chance to address the editors, he rightly crowed about what in seven and a half years, he has been able to do. He said he was particularly proud of what his government had done in the education sector, especially in expanding access by building more primary, secondary and tertiary schools. He gave only a brief sketch of his achievements in all sectors and challenged the editors to undertake a tour to confirm what he had asserted. Like a lawyer (he is an eminent one) summing up a case he has just presented to persuade a judge, he told the audience that the facts he had just stated ‘’are factual, truthful, believable because they can be seen, touched and perceived’’.
And he was right. At the end of a conducted tour of some of his legacy projects, the editors were unanimous that Shema has served the people of Katsina with distinction. Many agreed that the 11 billion naira his government has spent to complete the state-owned university, which was renamed Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University in honour of the late president who started it, was money well spent.
When the team arrived the temporary site of the Federal University located in Dutsin-Ma, it was the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayatse who sang the praises of Shema for the money, time and commitment Shema has put into the University which ensured that the institution took off well before other ones conceived at the same time with it in other parts of the federation started. Shema’s claim of priority attention to education is no false one. The editors were also very impressed by the 250-bed orthopaedic hospital constructed by the Shema administration. Both the idea of the hospital as one to complement the only one such health facility in the North which is located in Kano and the stately manner of its execution, are deeply impressive.
Editors who have a heart for people-oriented projects were particularly impressed by the Katsina Youth Craft Centre which trains youth in 14 different trades and the N3.8 Songhai Agricultural Projected located in Dutsin-Ma aimed at introducing and sustaining modern methods of farming with a view to ensuring food security and higher income to farmers.
During my National Good Governance Tour days, I had resolved not to celebrate any governor that builds stately mansions as Government House no matter how impressive and intricately designed they may be.  But when some of my colleagues said the former Katsina Government House was such a sickly sight, I was compelled to join others in applauding the wonder that is Shema’s new 8 billion naira Government House. It simply takes your breath away.