Re: Why Jigawa deserves a more robust leadership

One of the beauties of democracy is the freedom of expression; that is why no one can stop one Lawal Kaugama from writing his opinion letter, which appeared on page 49 of Daily Trust on July 9, 2014 regarding Jigawa State government. Before the coming of Governor Sule Lamido’s administration, just few days to expiration […]

One of the beauties of democracy is the freedom of expression; that is why no one can stop one Lawal Kaugama from writing his opinion letter, which appeared on page 49 of Daily Trust on July 9, 2014 regarding Jigawa State government.
Before the coming of Governor Sule Lamido’s administration, just few days to expiration of Saminu Turaki’s tenure, Jigawa was sunk into stupendous financial recklessness and moral ineptitude that people began to wonder whether the state was governed by a sane person.  You cannot imagine seeing the condition of our schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructures which were in total state of dilapidation.
Well, there seem to be desperation, ingratitude, falsehood and deceit on the psyche of some people, such as Lawan Kaugama. Otherwise, how can someone compare Saminu’s tenure with that of Lamido and even accuse Lamido of foisting a successor on the people of Jigawa State? Let me remind Kaugama that, despite the so called monies distributed during Saminu Turaki era in the name of Financial Support (Kudin Kwati) to people, that didn’t get them out of poverty because in 2007 Jigawa was ranked the poorest among its peers in the federation by Professor Chukuma Soludo-led Central Bank. Also the state was either first or second on maternal and infant mortality rate index and there was massive students’ failure in SSCE and other exterminations. However, all these challenges were reversed, due to the purposeful leadership of Lamido. The entire populace is convinced that the political gladiators in the state if not in the region cannot produce a match to Lamido in terms of his policies, credentials and achievements.
Lawal’s assertion that the 486 northerners arrested in Abia were mostly from Jigawa and it was the level of poverty that led them to go searching for better economic prospects is not true.  The holistic approach of
Jigawa State government in tackling poverty is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria, because everyone with sense of history knew that the state hosted first ever Talakawa Summit in the country. The outcome was the present administration’s giant strides in the area of poverty alleviation for women, youth and the physically challenged with the aim of improving their lives by making them more productive. The state established six skills acquisition programme centres in Kazaure, Birnin Kudu, Dutse, Hadejia and Gumel and equipped them with the state of the art teaching and learning tools. Over 10,000 youths were trained and settlement tools and grants were provided to them.  
Similarly, under the present administration a social security law was enacted, which gives a legal backing for payment of N7000 stipend to the most deprived persons in the society: the physically challenged persons. This programme has brought a lot of succour to the society’s most vulnerable elements, namely the blind, deaf, crippled and those afflicted by leprosy. As at today over 4,107 are benefitting from across the 27 LGA’s of the state.
For the establishment of State University which Lawan Kaugama opposed, any right thinking person, is aware of the centrality of education to the socio-economic life of any society. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia to mention but a few use education to emancipate their people from   poverty. The government of Jigawa State saw wisdom in establishing its own university to allow more access of its indigenes to this important sector because everybody knew that there are serious deficit in this area to an extent that more than half of students who are eligible to gain admission into Nigerian universities do not have the opportunity annually.  But now, with these strides, they would have such golden opportunity to be enrolled.
Lamido’s political antecedence as great stalwart of the old PRP, the party with a unity of purpose, sharp political focus and rigorous internal democracy, is one of the elements that this PRP old timer and one of the PDP founding fathers stand for. Of cause, Lamido will leave office in 2015 with his experience, foresight and wisdom. Who will succeed him? That is the crucial question in Jigawa politics. Imposing a candidate will not be in Lamido’s political philosophy. His assertion is that, by August the candidate may emerge and that the process will carry all the people along. Sule Lamido, who is regarded as the strongest man in Jigawa politics, will do everything possible to see a good and legitimate person emerges as his party’s candidate.
Adamu is the Special Adviser to Jigawa state governor on Media.