Yuguda: A visionary leader at 57

Bringing all his experience as a former federal Minister, bank chief, financial manager and economics graduate to bear on the task, Yuguda executed a multipronged approach to reestablishing security of life and property throughout the state.Chief challenges included the sara-suka menace, armed robbery and violent communal clashes. Improved intelligence and patrol operations have now almost […]

Bringing all his experience as a former federal Minister, bank chief, financial manager and economics graduate to bear on the task, Yuguda executed a multipronged approach to reestablishing security of life and property throughout the state.
Chief challenges included the sara-suka menace, armed robbery and violent communal clashes. Improved intelligence and patrol operations have now almost totally wiped out these threats even though the state is smack in the middle of the Northeast geopolitical zone currently wracked by insurgency and counter-terrorism efforts. This became possible through massive investment in human and material resources for all calibers of security forces. In one such gesture, the state government donated 30 patrol vehicles fitted with communication facilities to the state command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). This was followed by the donation of an additional 25 vehicles including ambulances to the command. Similarly, 20 vehicles were supplied to the Nigerian Army formations in the state to combat armed robbery and banditry throughout the state. For optimum coordination and performance, all these security agencies have also been provided platform for network communications.
Even though these proactive security measures also eliminated erstwhile frequent communal conflicts, the state government in collaboration with other stakeholders has had to resettle victims of inherited communal clashes and others who fled from neighboring states. This entails provision of basic amenities to displaced or distressed persons as well as reconstruction of residences and other facilities destroyed during clashes to promote peaceful coexistence rather than separation of feuding parties. In one historic instance, the state government reconstructed ALL houses, shops and places of worship destroyed during the Yelwa-Kadagama crisis of 2007.
Success on the security front has also enabled the Yuguda administration to move on to the promotion of peace and unity requisite for the rapid progress of the state. To tackle one of the most intractable and often bloody communal conflicts in the state’s southern senatorial zone, the government created the Sayawa Chiefdom. This was in addition to the creation of additional Districts, Village Areas and Hamlets to foster unity and enhance access to quick development. The government capped these measures by the promulgation of a law that makes Local Government Councils and Communities liable to forfeit all statutory grants until all properties destroyed in sectarian or communal clashes are completely restored.
Being largely agrarian state, Governor Yuguda next focused on the resuscitation of the agriculture sector which had fallen into utter collapse. The state government has since resuscitated the moribund fertilizer blending plant for full-capacity production while ensuring adequate supplies of assorted fertilizers sold to farmers at 50 per cent subsidy to make up for shortfalls. Animal farming also received a massive boost with the development of 500-kilometre cattle route to avoid farmers/pastoralists clashes as well as the construction and equipping of Veterinary Clinics at Alkaleri, Dass, Dambam, Kafin Madaki, Itas and Zaki.
In addition to constructing 10-kilometre rural roads in each local government area, the state government constructed the following intra-state highways: Alkaleri-Futuk, Ningi-Burra, Azare-Isawa-Giade, Dindima-Yankari Games Reserve, Gamawa-Alagarno-Sabon Gari, Soro-Miya, Gumau-Hayin Tama-Rahama and the Railway-Gudum roads. Many other major thoroughfares such as the Bauchi-Tafawa Balewa and Misau-Hardawa roads, Gokaru, Bununu, Burga and Lugudi bridges were rehabilitated or reconstructed.
Yuguda’s intervention in the comatose healthcare sector has been no less aggressive. In the last six years the administration constructed and equipped new General Hospitals at Zaki, Azare, Ningi, Giade, Toro, Tafawa Balewa, Bayara, Jama’are and Kafin Madaki and a new complex for the Misau General Hospital. Contracts have also been awarded for the renovation of 73 staff quarters for General Hospitals at Toro, Alkaleri, Tafawa Balewa, Dass, Darazo, Ningi, Shira and Gamawa.
In education, government actions amounted to a declaration of state of emergency or at least a mini-revolution. It declared free and compulsory primary and secondary education for all citizens,complete with the production and distribution of six million free text-books. So far, 25 of the 58 secondary schools across the state have been comprehensively upgraded and renovated with the rest enjoying improved feeding, adequate furniture and other teaching aids. Teacher training and retraining is also a top priority that is motivation staff in the sector leading to improved results at national examinations by students from Bauchi State. Governor Yuguda set up the Bauchi State University Gadau (BASUG) with campuses at Gadau, Misau and Bauchi to be commissioned in 2014 along with the state government.
To make all these pro-people policies and programmes workable, Governor Yuguda had to inject life into the civil service which was the least paid anywhere in the federation and with a backlog of N660 million in unpaid pensions. Government promptly settled the almost 10,000 pensioners and introduced a new salary structure with between 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent increment, provided 1000 brand new vehicles and 5000 motorcycles/bicycles for civil servants at 50 per cent of the market price and restored car refurbishing loans. Utility and official cars have also been provided for all ministries, departments and agencies. In addition to being one of the first to implement the National Minimum Wage of N18,000, the Bauchi State Government reintroduced end-of-year salary bonus and salary advance facility. Other incentives include the 5000 public housing units being constructed through a Public Private Partnership and the 1,038 Houses at Tambari Housing Estate with facility from the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. Similarly, Bauchi State became one of the few states whose entire workforce of 26,000 employees are registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Yuguda’s key policies and programmes are thus paying off big dividendsin the lives of ordinary citizens despite the countless odds. The actual secretmay be his political sagacity. Governor-for-all seems to be his credence in dealing with partisan politics. From day one, he has carried the opposition along based on fair-play, justice and transparency. In 2009, Amnesty International gave the Matawallen Bauchi and Obasayero of Oyo Empire an Award for Best Local Government Elections Conducted.
If great nations are built in one community, city and state at a time, Nigeria has in Bauchi State a shining example of what it could quickly become with the right leadership. Similarly, if Malam Isa Yuguda continues on this path of well-structured selfless service to the people, the presidency may be his next qualification. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a visionary leader.
Shehu is SSA (Media) to Governor Yuguda