When will Mr President visit Adamawa State?

Jonathan’s second journey to Adamawa was the very recent one in October which was humanitarian in nature because he visited to see and assess the havoc wreaked by the unprecedented flood in that state. Adamawa, it should be noted, is one of the category A states ravaged by flooding. So, Mr President had indeed visited […]

Jonathan’s second journey to Adamawa was the very recent one in October which was humanitarian in nature because he visited to see and assess the havoc wreaked by the unprecedented flood in that state. Adamawa, it should be noted, is one of the category A states ravaged by flooding. So, Mr President had indeed visited Adamawa. The intention of the writer is to ask when the president will visit the state to commission projects just as he did recently in the far North-west state of Jigawa. The heading ought to read thus: When will Mr. President visit Adamawa state to commission projects? That would be too wordy for a headline.

Among the projects commissioned by Jonathan during his two-day visit to the new world- Jigawa between November 5th and 6th, were a modern State Secretariat in Dutse, the state capital. The Secretariat, built at the cost of N9.5 billion has about 1000 offices. He also commissioned roads, a befitting  NYSC permanent camp equipped with state –of –the art facilities and social amenities. The camp can accommodate more than 4000 corps members. It was constructed at the cost of about N800 million. Also unveiled was a High Court complex and several other projects.  Mr President also laid the foundation stone of a modern Airport which Governor Sule Lamido’s administration intends to complete before the end of its tenure in 2015. The main philosophy behind the new airport despite the closeness of Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, in neighbouring Kano State, is to allow foreign investors fly directly to Jigawa State.

It was not only the commissioning of projects all through as the President also had some kind words for the State Governor, the traditional institution and the good people of Jigawa for the peace, stability and security being enjoyed in the new world. At least no single incidence of bloodletting and destruction of property due to the activities of the Boko Haram sect have been recorded in Jigawa, since the sect’s insurgency became a constant decimal in most parts of North-west and North-east.

For Governor Lamido, it was an hour of honour when the president described him as a true disciple of the late Malam Aminu Kano whose vision, philosophy and ideology have found translation and true meaning in the activities of Jigawa State government under Lamido in the past five years or so. According to the president, Lamido was leading by example. The Jigawa government has invested so much in agriculture, education and social infrastructure.

When Mr. President was commissioning those projects he was pouring encomiums, accolades and commendations on Governor Lamido and the people of Jigawa State and wished that Mr President should just visit Adamawa State and  commission more projects there.  I also wished that Mr President would in that visit pour encomiums on my Governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako a.k.a Baba Maimangoro. I had wished that the visit to Adamawa should take place within a week, since at least the president should have some time to attend to other state matters before embarking on another round of visit to another state.

Also, to say I was impressed by the welcome and reception accorded Mr President by the people of Jigawa – Talking about the pomp, color and pageantry an understatement. But I thought that Mr. President could get even a bigger welcome, more color and beauty in Adamawa.

I was in this state of mind when a Civil Engineer uncle called and tasked me to keep tap on the movement of the Good Governance Tour train being led by the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku with a view to knowing when the train will arrive Adamawa state. The tour, it should be noted, affords state Governors opportunity to show case their score cards and performance charts by taking the Minister and Journalists to projects they have executed or are executing.

The engineer would also want me to do him a favour by not only participating in the  Town Hall meeting, one of the aspects of the Good Governance Tour, but to ask the following question: why are most of the projects executed by Governor Nyako concentrated in Mayo – Belwa. Admiral Nyako hails from Mayo – Belwa. I would not know why the engineer wanted that question asked and I did not ask him why either. But I can hazard a guess; the engineer wanted to portray the Nyako administration as one which concentrates developmental projects and infrastructure in his local Government while other areas are left out.

Indeed, there have been hue and cry about Nyako favoring his area and his kinsmen in virtually all spheres of governance. This allegation appears to gain some substance when juxtaposed with the fact that apart from the Farming Skills Acquisition Centres located in all the 21 local government areas and the two- kilometre roads constructed in local government council headquarters all funded with the proceeds accrueding  to the councils from the federation allocations, the administration has not done much in other parts of the state in terms of roads and social infrastructure.

Back to the question and my wish; recent events sadly indicate that Mr President may not visit my state in the near foreseeable future because those on ground would argue that the government has not performed enough to earn a presidential working visit. Besides, how can the president visit when the Governor is not sure of the security situation in his state? It was reported that when Mr President indicated he was going to Adamawa to see the impact of the flood, the Governor allegedly said the president should not be taken to Numan, Lamurde and Demsa local government areas, the worst hit areas because he could not guarantee the security of his Commander–in–Chief in those areas. The governor forgot so soon that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan visited Makwada Square, Numan just last year to campaign for her husband without any security threat. What has changed now people might be asking.  Nyako instead, took the president to Gurin in Fufore local government area.

From the foregoing, it is safe to conclude that those wishing and hoping like me, for a presidential visit to Adamawa state for the purpose of commissioning or laying foundation ceremony of projects will have to wait a little longer. But while we wait, we remain envious of the people of Jigawa State.

Garba Yedimakudon, wrote from No 1B Sukuta Street Wuse II, Abuja