On Katsina’s past eight years and the future

As an experienced leader, the foray of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema into politics over a decade ago has brought unprecedented change. As a lawyer, a politician and a leader, his mission has been to put his community along the path of self-reliance, economic independence and political relevance. And as a Katsina citizen, I think he’s […]

As an experienced leader, the foray of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema into politics over a decade ago has brought unprecedented change. As a lawyer, a politician and a leader, his mission has been to put his community along the path of self-reliance, economic independence and political relevance. And as a Katsina citizen, I think he’s done just that.
Shema’s style of leadership can be described as statesmanlike, enabling him to identify the needed change. His eight years in the saddle of leadership in the state have seen tremendous achievement, not by accident, but results of well-calculated governance designed to change the course of history for a people that deserve the best. His administration, after the election in 2007, set targets and achieved them. It is on record that Katsina state, during this period was adjudged as the only state in federation that attains 90% budget implementation. By 2011, after re-election the government set up the second phase of comprehensive infrastructural development agenda that saw the state transforming into one of the most developed in the country.
These Infrastructural developments initiated had moved the entire state to a workable, sustainable and realistic entity with road networks, drainages, hospitals, schools and other integrated mechanisms to fast-track the development of the state. Today no town, city or rural area is left behind on the provision of social amenities and infrastructures.
In the last eight years over 200 road networks have been constructed, rehabilitated or dualised in the state, this is apart from the huge sums committed in the upgrading and internalization of the Katsina airport to compliment the infrastructural development of the state. In the last 360 days alone over 30 different road networks with drainages were completed and others are in the offing. No economy and community will boast of any infrastructural growth without electricity and this has also received healthy attention, as so far over 200 communities have been joined with the national grid in the state.
Then come to education, where the provision of one of the biggest infrastructure in the education sector anywhere in the country was made. The effect of this massive investment is in the school enrolment where by the year 2004 only 142,729 students were in secondary schools in the state, today over 3 million are attending secondary schools in the state.
Being a member of a rival party myself, the APC, I cannot turn a blind eye to what Shema has achieved, including his recent recognition by a major Nigerian newspaper. He is one of the few outgoing governors in the country who can raise their heads high in satisfaction that they came, they saw and did their best.
Chakis wrote from No. 34 Isa Kaita College of Education Road, Dutsinma ([email protected])