Kano’s infrastructural challenges and political will
To be able to surmount these problems, what a state like Kano needs is the kind of leadership that is committed to change and the kind of leadership that has prior experiences in tackling these challenges. Sentiments alone cannot help Kano to develop and in trying to tackle its challenges, the people of the state […]
To be able to surmount these problems, what a state like Kano needs is the kind of leadership that is committed to change and the kind of leadership that has prior experiences in tackling these challenges. Sentiments alone cannot help Kano to develop and in trying to tackle its challenges, the people of the state should take a critical look at their needs and decide who among the various people jostling for the leadership of the state at the moment have displayed the needed track record and experience in tackling the problems they are confronted with.
Taking a close look at the issue of water supply for instance, one will notice that Kano’s huge population coupled with the industries in the state exert a huge toll on these resources. As a matter of fact, meeting Kano’s water needs was a huge challenge until the state government in 2007 to 2010 decided to establish 13 functional Regional Water Supply Schemes. Eng. Abdullahi Gwarzo who was the Kano State Commissioner for Water Resources from 2007 to 2010 was the brain behind the establishment of the thirteen functional Regional Water Supply Schemes particularly in areas where acute shortage of drinking water was being experienced by the populace.
The good news is that each of the 13 Regional Water Supply Schemes such as the Watari, Fada and Bagwai to mention only a few scattered in parts of Kano State supply no less than 75 million gallons of water per day, making them to impact positively on the lives of majority of the citizens. This is no mean feat, but then this is something that is not given enough mention, especially to the brain behind the success of the programme. The kind of leadership exhibited by the Gwarzo team in ensuring that the project becomes a success is one administrators, achievement which other leaders in Nigeria should do well to emulate. Today Eng. Gwarzo is been recognized as an astute public officer who did his best to improve the life of the downtrodden.
My question to other public officers and several others jostling for political position in Kano and beyond is what have they done to be remembered for the positions they held? This is why I stated earlier that in our quest to select the best leaders for Kano State and indeed Nigeria, we should do away with all sentimental thoughts and take a hard look at the concrete facts staring us in the face. Only then can we apply the needed judgment required of us to elect the kind of leaders who will work selflessly for the people.
Kano State is blessed with many earth dams courtesy of late Audu Bako administration, most of which are now not being fully utilized with the exception perhaps of the great Tiga dam which gives impetus to the Kadawa famous irrigation scheme.
Most of these dams such as the Bagauda, Challawa, Watari, and Bagwai which not long ago claimed the lives of many from its host community on a wedding expedition are either lying wasted or threaten of a likely outburst as a result of poor maintenance. These are dams that could have been some other sources of enhanced livelihood for the people of these communities. Kano deputy governor, Eng. Abdullahi Mohammed Gwarzo has pledged that if elected as the next civilian governor of the state, his ACN administration would ensure that all the dams are utilized to the fullest for the overall socio-economic development of the people.
Going by his record in managing the Kano State Ministry of Water Resources, this is one promise I as a Kano citizen is inclined to believe because this is no ordinary promise by a neophyte but by a tested hand who has had experience in managing that sector.
Hand to hand with Kano’s water problem is that of electricity supply. Yet again, as elections draw closer, candidates are all busy promising that they would be able to tackle the state’s power supply shortages. But can they be able to deliver when elected? Looking at the promises so far, I think the one put forward by the ACN is exhaustive. The most striking of all is the power supply programme aimed at resuscitating the Kano ailing industries and also a deliberate plan to ensure the establishment of new ones to boost economic activities to provide employment to the jobless.
Establishing new power generating plants in strategic areas of Kano State should pave way for the springing up of small and medium industries especially in areas where raw materials for such industries are easily accessible. This would not only open up new avenues for socio-economic activities in the rural areas of Kano State but will equally curtail rural-urban drift which has today been one of the major social problems confronting Nigerian cities where infrastructures are over stretched. The issue of tackling unemployment through skills acquisition for youths is something the Gwarzo team is working on in Kano. This programme alone has the potential to not only boost socio-economic activities in the area but also enable the teeming unemployed become self-reliant. The success of this program in tackling youth unemployment during Gwarzo’s previous outing as chairman of Gwarzo Local Government Area should provide a ready blue print for tackling this problem. As the elections draw closer, these are the issues we should be bothered about and issues we should be hoping the best candidate for the job should help us resolve for the betterment of Kano State.
Getso wrote from Kano