By Abdullahi Idris Zuru
As Nigerians celebrate the country’s 64th Independence anniversary, leaders at governmental levels, as tradition demands, do reflect on the successes of the administration and whether or not the anniversary is worth celebrating at a point in time.
As has been the practice, current President of the country and the state governors, as part of the events of commemoration of the day, do review the level of development recorded during the period under review, with special reference to their administration’s contributions to the development so far achieved.
Be that as it may, this year’s Independence anniversary celebration is being held at the time Comrade Governor Nasir Idris stewardship of Kebbi State was about one and half years old. Therefore, this year’s Independence anniversary celebration is historic and remarkable for Comrade Governor Kaura to be considered as a consiquencial celebrant of this year independence anniversary for having multiple reasons.
It is again an opportunity for the Comrade Governor to reflect on the successes achieved and pray hard for Allah’s continuos guidance, blessings with divine wisdom, in confronting the task ahead.
At the same time, it also afforded another opportunity for his well wishers and loved ones to humbly appreciates and show case his modest achievements in the governance of Kebbi State so far.
Comparatively, Comrade Governor Nasir Idris has within about one and half years, changed the narrative of the socio-economic and political development of Kebbi State.
This could clearly be observed in the gradual implementation of the articulated results oriented policies and programmes as well as execution of valuable infrastructure with potentiality of creating employment opportunities.
For the record and avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that Comrade Nasir Idris’s developmental programmes are in phases and stages of execution.
First phase consists of developmental projects and programmes selected from different sectors of development. The execution is equally spread in stages in order to ensure qualitative execution and timely completion.
Under the education sub-sector, primary and secondary schools in deplorable condition across the state are being identified and renovated while the possibility of constructing additional structures is being considered.
This does not include the establishment of six mega secondary schools in the geopolitical areas of the state and employment of the first phase of 2000 teachers. The inherited backlog of payment of scholarship and tuition fees for indigenes studying within the country and foreign institutions have not only been cleared but sustained with priority to the students undergoing medical and sciences related courses.
In the infrastructural sector, the ultra modern Secretariat complex and a modern motor park in Birnin Kebbi are almost completed.
The state capital, which before the advent of Comrade Governor Nasir Idris administration, was being referred to as a glorify local government headquarters due to infrastructural decay and outdated nature of the facilities.
Today, it can boldly be said without fear of contradiction that Birnin Kebbi has joined the league of states with befitting and fascinating capitals.
The health care delivery sector has equally gotten it’s fair share of the projects in the first phase of the state government’s development programmes with the increase in medical doctors salary and absorption of over 2000 health workers on temporary appointment over the years.
At the same time, medicament and other health care facilities are being provided while plans are under way for the establishment of six fully equipped referral hospitals to take care of the challenges being encountered by the people in the transportation of patients to Birnin Kebbi for treatment.
Comrade Nasir Idris’s economic empowerment programmes revolve around boosting agricultural activities and creating self-employment opportunities through the establishment of skills acquisition centres for comprehensive training of youths and the unemployed.
Farmers in the state enjoy allocation of free fertiliser and solar powered irrigation pumps at subsidised prices for all year farming activities.
The skills acquisition centres being established in different parts of the state are for the training of hundreds of thousands of youths in a variety of trades.
The participants will enjoy monthly allowances and will also be assisted with taking off grants for establishing their own businesses.
The next developmental sector being focused on by the Comrade’s administration is the industrialisation of the state, blessed with abundant agricultural and mineral resources.
Let it be noted that a number of foreign investors interested in establishing solar panels and agro-alied industries have visited the state and submitted their different proposals to the State government.
It may also interest those desirous in the socio-economic development of the state to be informed that a committee of manufacturing, agro-alied and economic experts assembled by the government, have studied and analysed the proposals and appropriately advised the state government.
That was why the Govenor led a delegation to the various locations of the would- be investors across the globe, to ascertain their financial capacity, reliability and sincerity of purpose before the government’s final decision on the proposals.
The expected benefits of the establishment of viable industries to virtually all segments of the people in the state and beyond, appeared to have the potentiality of destroying the imaginary political fortunes of the opposition, which is the basis for their recen byt baseless allegations.
Abdullahi Zuru is the
Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to Kebbi State Governor.
