The concept of PPP in Sokoto’s governance process

“Don’t mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it. If it is unfair, keep from irritation. If it is ignorant, smile. If it is justified, learn from it.” – Anonymous I have a little issue with some who have taken the responsibility to pontificate about the governance process in Sokoto State. My worry is the […]

“Don’t mind criticism. If it is untrue, disregard it. If it is unfair, keep from irritation. If it is ignorant, smile. If it is justified, learn from it.” – Anonymous

I have a little issue with some who have taken the responsibility to pontificate about the governance process in Sokoto State. My worry is the seeming lack of intellectual rigour in their assessment of activities currently going on in the Seat of the Caliphate.

When Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal presented the state’s 2018 budget in December 2017, he spoke extensively about expanding areas of cooperation with the organised private sector, development partners and Non Governmental Organisations. This is important because in today’s scheme of things, the trend globally is for governments to join hands with like-minds to ensure that development is brought to the doorsteps of the people.

I am a development enthusiast, having gone through the tutelage of Professor Afolabi Falola while studying Developmental Studies at Bayero University, Kano. Among the things he taught us were that in today’s world, inclusive governance includes three sectors: the public sector (state actors and institutions, development partners and institutions they represent), the private sector (households and companies), and the civil society (non-governmental organizations). Those three independent but related sectors network among themselves to smoothen governance and its processes. The leading agent among the Troika, in this case the government, uses the network approach to tap from the expertise and resources of the others in order to achieve common good.

“These networks may be intergovernmental, transnational, or international,” Professor Falola hammered into our receptive brains.

Among the key fiscal components of Sokoto’s 2018 budget is the expansion of areas of cooperation with partners in the implementation of projects especially in health, housing, education, agriculture, commerce and industries and roads construction. And the fundamental strategy underlying this is the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Through PPP, government will combine the strength of the private sector and that of the public sector in order to overcome challenges faced by the society to achieve superior outcome.

In that regard, two key events happened in Sokoto a few weeks into the New Year, and which have pushed critics into overdrive, huffing and puffing in an effort to undermine their importance. The first was the release of the statistics of school desks and instructional materials distributed to schools in the state, while the second was the unveiling of the 80kw solar mini-grid flagged off by Tambuwal at Kurdula village of Gudu LGA.

Rather than understand the concept of development financing as it applies to these two projects, and how it works in modern governance process, some have ignorantly (or mischievously) labeled this cooperation, and the successes it brought to the people, as scam, and deception.

But beyond the gloating and retinue of praise singers urging them on with ‘likes’, ‘comments’ and ‘shares’ on social media, men of understanding laugh at their folly.

As for those who appreciate genuine efforts at progress, they only concern themselves with asking for more of such partnerships to enhance the well-being and living standards of the people.

Tambuwal’s administration has embraced partnerships, because it has brought an organic fertilizer company, it led USAID to bring 300,000 text books to our schools, it led the World Bank to pay substantial amount of money for the repair of the collapsed Lugu dam in Wurno LGA, it brought Dangote Rice Ltd to Goronyo and Middle Rima Valley, and importantly, through efforts of NEI+, it is training our teachers and lecturers in modern teaching methods. How did these and more happen? Because we PAID our counterpart fund while they brought in their matching grants to enable the two parties proceed with execution.

Sokoto has found gold in partnerships, and in the coming days and months, more of such benefits will be unveiled for the benefit of the people.

Meanwhile, since some critics are really looking for where to practice activism, let me give a suggestion. Some federal agencies residing in Sokoto, notably an important institution of higher learning, has not paid its necessary taxes to the state government for a while now. Why not turn energy to that direction, and ensure they pay? This is important because anytime they log Sokoto students off from their academic portal, our critics should please be magnanimous enough to tell the school to pay our government, and it will in turn settle any demand that may arise. That way, activism has served a good purpose for the state and for its students.

So our dear critics and opposition, why not elevate your criticism and opposition a notch higher. You owe that to all of us.

Imam is the spokesman to Governor Tambuwal.