“Ance wai juma’ar da zata yi kyau tun daga laraba ake gane ta”
Hausa proverb.
The above proverb clearly summarizes what I intend to address. It is an old Hausa- Fulani tradition that a young boy be given a piece of land to farm on so as to be tested on how much of maturity he has attained and to be able to determine whether or not it is time to give him a bigger parcel of land and subsequently graduate him to fend for himself.
It has come to my notice that the students playing the almighty national body politics and their allies have their own priorities heavily misplaced. Common sense demands a review of an intending candidate through those people over which the person in question has governed, if the subjects are happy with the performance of the outgoing; fine and good, at least this is how people like Barrack Obama were recommended and sold to the American public.
We at the local chapter down in Unimaid were suffering under a tyrannical and oppressive regime that has no respect for the views of the majority, a leadership with no screws in them, a leadership that is proud and arrogant always claiming to be king makers, a leadership that abuses public office to personal gains and gratification, a leadership that offers its helpless subjects substandard services and materials, a leadership that eulogizes vote and electoral frauds and practices in the name of “Toronto”, a leadership that is yet to finish answering our queries , a leadership that is full of self praising in the name of Achievement! Achievement! Achievement!, a leadership full of noise and yet, some disgruntled clique of disillusioned so called politicians chose for us such a leadership as president. What a president indeed!
We intend to fight injustices and unfair marginalization till our dying days, and we feel this choice of leadership is so unfair to the forthcoming generation, our children yet unborn because the incumbent is not a moral role model. And we would like to bring to Mr. presidents notice that a We Want To Say back in school!.
If I jubilate with this leadership, it would be hypocritical, I just want to say that it is very unfortunate that as intellectually minded as Kano students are perceived, how could they have scooped so low as to choose such a leadership, I challenge us to save the next generation from doom because history has a funny way of repeating itself and we are living witnesses of the excesses of your supposed leader.
Let us come together and reason rationally, come to our senses and throw away sentiments, N.A.K.S.S will be here long after we are gone and posterity will never forgive us if we jeopardize the future structure of our union. I am but a plain Warner unto us all. Thank you for reading my piece and God bless.
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a freelance writer, a neo pan African, wrote in from the university of Maiduguri Nigeria, you can reach him online at www.muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The last time Nigeria had a real president
It should be evident to note by now that any leader anywhere in the world that does not dance to the Euro-American tune is labeled by CNN and BBC as abusing human rights and violating seemingly countless Geneva conventions and breaching sanction agreements .
As long as a leader does not tango with the western power blocs, he is either a tyrant or a dictator. Look around you and see, the Venezuela, Iran, Uganda, Sudan, Liberia, Zaire, Guinea and Cuba to mention but a few.
It should be observed that if a supposed leader is socialist by economic outlook, a psycho-media war is declared upon the administration so much that its subjects begin to believe what they are constantly told by the media. It is funny how global opinions are formed by CNN and BBC this days. The way governments and societies are to be run is being dished out by the western media and we are subconsciously being programmed to do as we see on TV. We are living witnesses to the IDI AMIN saga, two Hollywood blockbusters succeeded each other to finally discredit him as a man eater, a sex maniac and a brutal murderer.
All the African leaders that directly or indirectly said “Africa is the only continent we have and therefore we should be left alone to solve our problems ourselves”, have become the victims of western character assassination and blackmail.
“…For the International Community, we ask that you suspend judgment while we grapple with the onerous task of nation building, reconciliation and repairs …Nigeria is the only country we have. We must, therefore, solve our problems ourselves”...
Late general Sani Abacha November 1993 speech.
To the myopic mind being plagued by the western media stereotyping and some ethnic sections of Nigeria especially the June 12 people, your sense of reason might be clouded at the mention of this African hero. However, it is clearly evident to see that poverty, depilated roads and inadequate infrastructure combined killed more people during the fourth republic than the late general supposed bullet wounds. It is a tradition in any struggling country willing to rise to prominence that some countrymen be sent forth to the great beyond to make room for growth and development, it is no secret, history has it in store from Moses down to George bush. We saw the political demise of a former minister for justice, we saw the mysterious plane crash of some seven 7 generals, we saw another mystery in Macchidos death and his allies, we saw a failed attempt at late Wada Nas of blessed memory to mention but a few.
The over ten billion dollars meant for the power sector was never accounted for. If I ruled and carried out some secret deals and I am still alive, in fact I have a stooge in place, then how on earth do you expect me to be labeled the fourth must corrupt head of state by transparency international? Halliburton is an American investment with a colorless form, I mean nobody questions its audacity.
The vendetta carried out against the late general, his family, and his allies coupled with the fact that he said no to Euro-American economic interest and said yes to Korea-Arab-China economic romance is an indicator of how personal prejudices were employed to suffocate vision 2010.
The petroleum special trust fund P.T.F is an establishment with no rival yet. Funded by revenues from an increase in the price of oil, was established in 1995. Under the leadership of former military leader Muhammad Buhari, the trust fund used its resources of almost 100 billion naira (roughly $1 billion) to repair roads and support education. In our higher institutions of learning we are living witnesses to how only P.T.F buses convey us to excursions and field trips conveniently, how we still have access to remains of P.T.F low price edition text and note books with paper quality that only MacMillan England could rival, in our teaching hospitals we see P.T.F buses still conveying patients, drugs in our hospitals were given for free, maternal health care was also free, bed sheets and mattresses , wheel chairs, tarred roads on our high ways that stood the test of time and are still trod are all courtesy of a supposed tyrannical regime and the list goes on and on… I mean eleven 11 years after its demise!!.
Against all expectations, Nigeria continued to maintain reasonable macroeconomic stability. Inflation remained at modest levels, the exchange rate was stable, and the budget deficit appeared under control.
The petroleum development trust fund P.T.D.F, is some crooked arrangement I cannot seem to feel its impact as a commoner and to understand where on earth it is headed towards. It is evident that it built and refurbished a number of departments nationwide, it dolls out scholarships to the children of the high and mighty e.t.c, if it touched the commoner, it would have become common knowledge and to God I would have said it here and now. What a pathetic substitute for our beloved P.T.F!!.
Within a span of three 3 years the P.T.F had achieved virtually what a whole civilian administration of eight 8 years failed to halve.
It is an irony how a country that wants to industrialize has almost everything from matches to toilet rolls being imported into its enclaves. We import rice, sugar, wheat, cars, soap, torch lights, bikes e.t.c and yet “Nigeria is going to be among the twenty most industrialized nations come the year 2020”!!, the millennium development goal seeks to cripple Nigeria under people that dance to the tunes of the Euro-Americans who control the world bank and the international monetary fund I.M.F. the said stashed monies in a Swiss account could be said to be chicken change compared to the living generals eight 8 years of random sampling.
They say it is good you open up, be tolerant, import from us, give us the foreign exchange, we will give you a temporary U.N seat, we will give you human right e.t.c. and yet there is no country on earth that developed without industry, and that was what the late general simply said, “ give us a chance to solve our problems ourselves” stamped his feet and meant it, that we should be left to learn to manufacture and produce and not be dependent on importation and thus the U.N sanctions that threatened our survival and the turmoil that characterized the generals exit. History has it that any nation about to take off into affluent perpetuity must endure hard times meant to absorb sanction shocks and strengthen the weakling economy.
Nigerians are very impatient people who are always expecting a miracle. Change never did come to any nation in history without some sacrificial lambs and Nigeria is no exception. To change is to persevere and sacrifice and only a few Nigerians are willing to do just that.
The Korean Indian auto works K.I.A, were in the dream pipeline of the late general to come down to Nigeria and manufacture cars with Nigerian raw material and labor, thus generating employment and jerking per capita in terms of foreign exchange [driving tokumbo cars would have since become a thing of the past]. The Peugeot assembly of Nigeria PAN was under a final warning by the late general to start manufacturing cars in Nigeria with Nigerian raw materials and labor or pack up and leave the country [thanks to ten 10 years of democracy now, the only thing Nigerian in their cars now is the water in the radiator].
The Indian company that later partnered with a Korean company to produce KIA cars was built alongside Ajaokuta steel company of Nigeria, and yet I ask you!, where is Ajaokuta steel coy today? [that is ten 10 years of democracy].
I have but touched upon but a few of the late generals foresightedness, patriotism and Africanism and challenge any one to please give Nigeria a detailed explanation behind the scraping of P.T.F, and I gallantly put the trust fund against all this ten years of saying ay!! And neigh!!.
I hope that if sentiments are kept aside and rational reasoning employed, I must have started winning some converts for the late general by now. It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly intellectual.
Thus, the last time Nigeria had a real president was 1993-1998, the late general Sani Abacha of blessed memory, may his soul rest in peace, amen.
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a freelance writer, a neo pan African, you can reach him online at muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
As long as a leader does not tango with the western power blocs, he is either a tyrant or a dictator. Look around you and see, the Venezuela, Iran, Uganda, Sudan, Liberia, Zaire, Guinea and Cuba to mention but a few.
It should be observed that if a supposed leader is socialist by economic outlook, a psycho-media war is declared upon the administration so much that its subjects begin to believe what they are constantly told by the media. It is funny how global opinions are formed by CNN and BBC this days. The way governments and societies are to be run is being dished out by the western media and we are subconsciously being programmed to do as we see on TV. We are living witnesses to the IDI AMIN saga, two Hollywood blockbusters succeeded each other to finally discredit him as a man eater, a sex maniac and a brutal murderer.
All the African leaders that directly or indirectly said “Africa is the only continent we have and therefore we should be left alone to solve our problems ourselves”, have become the victims of western character assassination and blackmail.
“…For the International Community, we ask that you suspend judgment while we grapple with the onerous task of nation building, reconciliation and repairs …Nigeria is the only country we have. We must, therefore, solve our problems ourselves”...
Late general Sani Abacha November 1993 speech.
To the myopic mind being plagued by the western media stereotyping and some ethnic sections of Nigeria especially the June 12 people, your sense of reason might be clouded at the mention of this African hero. However, it is clearly evident to see that poverty, depilated roads and inadequate infrastructure combined killed more people during the fourth republic than the late general supposed bullet wounds. It is a tradition in any struggling country willing to rise to prominence that some countrymen be sent forth to the great beyond to make room for growth and development, it is no secret, history has it in store from Moses down to George bush. We saw the political demise of a former minister for justice, we saw the mysterious plane crash of some seven 7 generals, we saw another mystery in Macchidos death and his allies, we saw a failed attempt at late Wada Nas of blessed memory to mention but a few.
The over ten billion dollars meant for the power sector was never accounted for. If I ruled and carried out some secret deals and I am still alive, in fact I have a stooge in place, then how on earth do you expect me to be labeled the fourth must corrupt head of state by transparency international? Halliburton is an American investment with a colorless form, I mean nobody questions its audacity.
The vendetta carried out against the late general, his family, and his allies coupled with the fact that he said no to Euro-American economic interest and said yes to Korea-Arab-China economic romance is an indicator of how personal prejudices were employed to suffocate vision 2010.
The petroleum special trust fund P.T.F is an establishment with no rival yet. Funded by revenues from an increase in the price of oil, was established in 1995. Under the leadership of former military leader Muhammad Buhari, the trust fund used its resources of almost 100 billion naira (roughly $1 billion) to repair roads and support education. In our higher institutions of learning we are living witnesses to how only P.T.F buses convey us to excursions and field trips conveniently, how we still have access to remains of P.T.F low price edition text and note books with paper quality that only MacMillan England could rival, in our teaching hospitals we see P.T.F buses still conveying patients, drugs in our hospitals were given for free, maternal health care was also free, bed sheets and mattresses , wheel chairs, tarred roads on our high ways that stood the test of time and are still trod are all courtesy of a supposed tyrannical regime and the list goes on and on… I mean eleven 11 years after its demise!!.
Against all expectations, Nigeria continued to maintain reasonable macroeconomic stability. Inflation remained at modest levels, the exchange rate was stable, and the budget deficit appeared under control.
The petroleum development trust fund P.T.D.F, is some crooked arrangement I cannot seem to feel its impact as a commoner and to understand where on earth it is headed towards. It is evident that it built and refurbished a number of departments nationwide, it dolls out scholarships to the children of the high and mighty e.t.c, if it touched the commoner, it would have become common knowledge and to God I would have said it here and now. What a pathetic substitute for our beloved P.T.F!!.
Within a span of three 3 years the P.T.F had achieved virtually what a whole civilian administration of eight 8 years failed to halve.
It is an irony how a country that wants to industrialize has almost everything from matches to toilet rolls being imported into its enclaves. We import rice, sugar, wheat, cars, soap, torch lights, bikes e.t.c and yet “Nigeria is going to be among the twenty most industrialized nations come the year 2020”!!, the millennium development goal seeks to cripple Nigeria under people that dance to the tunes of the Euro-Americans who control the world bank and the international monetary fund I.M.F. the said stashed monies in a Swiss account could be said to be chicken change compared to the living generals eight 8 years of random sampling.
They say it is good you open up, be tolerant, import from us, give us the foreign exchange, we will give you a temporary U.N seat, we will give you human right e.t.c. and yet there is no country on earth that developed without industry, and that was what the late general simply said, “ give us a chance to solve our problems ourselves” stamped his feet and meant it, that we should be left to learn to manufacture and produce and not be dependent on importation and thus the U.N sanctions that threatened our survival and the turmoil that characterized the generals exit. History has it that any nation about to take off into affluent perpetuity must endure hard times meant to absorb sanction shocks and strengthen the weakling economy.
Nigerians are very impatient people who are always expecting a miracle. Change never did come to any nation in history without some sacrificial lambs and Nigeria is no exception. To change is to persevere and sacrifice and only a few Nigerians are willing to do just that.
The Korean Indian auto works K.I.A, were in the dream pipeline of the late general to come down to Nigeria and manufacture cars with Nigerian raw material and labor, thus generating employment and jerking per capita in terms of foreign exchange [driving tokumbo cars would have since become a thing of the past]. The Peugeot assembly of Nigeria PAN was under a final warning by the late general to start manufacturing cars in Nigeria with Nigerian raw materials and labor or pack up and leave the country [thanks to ten 10 years of democracy now, the only thing Nigerian in their cars now is the water in the radiator].
The Indian company that later partnered with a Korean company to produce KIA cars was built alongside Ajaokuta steel company of Nigeria, and yet I ask you!, where is Ajaokuta steel coy today? [that is ten 10 years of democracy].
I have but touched upon but a few of the late generals foresightedness, patriotism and Africanism and challenge any one to please give Nigeria a detailed explanation behind the scraping of P.T.F, and I gallantly put the trust fund against all this ten years of saying ay!! And neigh!!.
I hope that if sentiments are kept aside and rational reasoning employed, I must have started winning some converts for the late general by now. It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly intellectual.
Thus, the last time Nigeria had a real president was 1993-1998, the late general Sani Abacha of blessed memory, may his soul rest in peace, amen.
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a freelance writer, a neo pan African, you can reach him online at muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
A trip so far.
Daily Differences in wants and needs abound,
Food, shelter and clothing we see basic,
Daily thriving for survival make us move,
From one place to the other we journey,
Searching for a cause to better life,
This time, way past basic needs,
At first, eager and enthusiastic we climb on board,
Excitement mounting at the thought of perceived success,
Buying extravagantly at origin we set forth,
Thereafter, settled we are on board as we take off,
Through hills and valleys we journey,
Day gives way to night and then, the heart goes sober ,
A skid at the wrong turn sends the car swinging off course,
Everybody on board timid and frightened for dear life,
Clinging on to the carrier as a baby would his mothers back,
Looking forward into the depths of the night and hoping,
Too dark to see through the night, what will be at the next turn?
Only the Lord knows!, men they say; only turn to God,
When the Devil has no further use for them,
Now , even the godless turn to God and yearn for safe delivery,
Stars above in the sky give a glimmer of hope in earnest,
Soft as wool in winter the hearts of men on a trip become,
Whispering in low tones, asking the Lord to see them through,
Their whole dilemma handed over to their own creator ,
Out of his infinite mercy he lands them safely,
Proud and arrogant they become once again,
Hurriedly, they disperse forgetting,
The favors of their Lord upon them,
To even say thank you Lord?, it might seem tiring,
And thus, the search for livelihood continues,
A seemingly endless search indeed!,
From the cradle to the grave we search,
Sometimes obliged to move in order to seek,
How long will this journey go on?, a lifelong pursuit I guess!,
How much easier is the journey getting so far?, only the Lord knows,
Time destroys everything, and thus the trip so far.
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a freelance writer, is a neo panafricanist, you can reach him online at www.muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
Food, shelter and clothing we see basic,
Daily thriving for survival make us move,
From one place to the other we journey,
Searching for a cause to better life,
This time, way past basic needs,
At first, eager and enthusiastic we climb on board,
Excitement mounting at the thought of perceived success,
Buying extravagantly at origin we set forth,
Thereafter, settled we are on board as we take off,
Through hills and valleys we journey,
Day gives way to night and then, the heart goes sober ,
A skid at the wrong turn sends the car swinging off course,
Everybody on board timid and frightened for dear life,
Clinging on to the carrier as a baby would his mothers back,
Looking forward into the depths of the night and hoping,
Too dark to see through the night, what will be at the next turn?
Only the Lord knows!, men they say; only turn to God,
When the Devil has no further use for them,
Now , even the godless turn to God and yearn for safe delivery,
Stars above in the sky give a glimmer of hope in earnest,
Soft as wool in winter the hearts of men on a trip become,
Whispering in low tones, asking the Lord to see them through,
Their whole dilemma handed over to their own creator ,
Out of his infinite mercy he lands them safely,
Proud and arrogant they become once again,
Hurriedly, they disperse forgetting,
The favors of their Lord upon them,
To even say thank you Lord?, it might seem tiring,
And thus, the search for livelihood continues,
A seemingly endless search indeed!,
From the cradle to the grave we search,
Sometimes obliged to move in order to seek,
How long will this journey go on?, a lifelong pursuit I guess!,
How much easier is the journey getting so far?, only the Lord knows,
Time destroys everything, and thus the trip so far.
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a freelance writer, is a neo panafricanist, you can reach him online at www.muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thank you Mallam shekarau! A youth perspective.
“A leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do, and like it”.
Harry S. Truman (1884 - 1972)
U.S. president.
It is evident to note by now that, no society has ever progressed and developed infrastructure wise with its human populace being handicapped.
It is on this premise that I will put forth my views on Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s person and administration. By party affiliation, I belong to the shekarau opposition camp, but the effort put in place is so glaringly clear that even a blind man could testify, so, I put political party affiliation aside, say the truth and shame the devil, and to remind you dear readers, my admitting the golden era of Mallam shekarau does not in any way make me less of an opposition that I was and will always be. It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly politics.
Categorically put forward, it could be deduced that the first four [4] years of Mallams administration was geared towards Human development, while the second part of the four [4] year tenure is being driven by Infrastructural development.
If you and I are hungry, impoverished, unemployed, insecure, and if our aging and dependent fathers who served this great state are not given their dues in good time or not paid at all as the case was, if portable pipe bone water had eluded the general populace and in their place we had instead, well tarred and glamorous roads, fancy Sallah events, world standard hospitals, extravagantly furnished ministries, fancy round-abouts and the likes. Then let me tell you something, a beautifully paved road and fancy clinic will not have people to walk it and admire it if the people are not well equipped, thus empowering the people to be employed and engaged would guarantee enjoyment of the facilities that would later be provided, and this is just what Mallam shekarau did in a nutshell, and it is what we are going to dwell upon, adore and appreciate and once again collectively say thank you.
“It is everlastingly true that on the whole the best guide to the future is to be found in a proper understanding of the lessons of the past”.
Warren G. Harding (1865 - 1923)
U.S. president.
Whatever the leaders of today put in place will be for the benefits of the youths of today who are presumably the leaders of tomorrow. We are going to start by examining the human development aspect of Mallams administration then later focus on the supposed infrastructural development and subsequently marry the two giant efforts together to rival and supersede the administrations of the likes of former governor Abubakar Rimi and Late Audu Bako of blessed memory combined.
The Mallam shekarau lead administration started off with a set of programs that were aimed at directly making an impact on the life of the poor and the downtrodden, the middle class and subsequently the elite to begin with;
• This administration restructured the salary package of the class room teacher, paid them in good time and looked into their general welfare.
• The A daidaita sahu program was put into mainstream governance which greatly helped in producing a more well behaved and refined citizen of Kano state thanks to constant radio messaging that readily reaches the common man in Kano state i.e “daidaita sahun nan yana nufin….mata su zauna gidan miji…daidata sahun nan yana nufin yan achaba su daina ganganchi.. e.t.c
• The same program brought in buses and tricycles that both young and old were employed by, which fed extensive families with, gave others the opportunity to be married , paid bills and school fees with, and gave out “sojan haya”, a term given to a person who works off a vehicle already assigned to another and still make money to survive. It also gave shelter to our mothers and grandmothers who instead would have been exposed to the dangers of Achaba riders and sex offenders.
• The Hisbah board systematically sought to and made a giant effort towards sanitizing our billboards which hitherto contained explicit and sometimes nude depictions of sensual female models in the crafty name of advertising and marketing.
• The Adaidaita Sahu inspired program was instrumental to the partitioning of almost all Kano state ministries bringing an end to free mixing of the sexes in their bit to contribute to nation building. What more of a Sharia system would we be asking for? [ I mean anywhere in the world].
• The Tsangaya system [ a system of Islamic education in northern Nigeria] sought to sanitize the Almajirai/allo system of education and thus, documented the ones worthy of caring and educating the young minds, provided them with the necessary learning materials, enlisted them in free food distribution during Ramadan, and provided them with soft financial assistance and strict monitoring as a pilot project to begin with.
• We the youth have been witnessing a near perfect and stress free Kallon Hawan Sarki due to effective and pro active arrangement jointly put in place during the whole week of Sallah by the Nigerian police force.
• The primary and post primary school within the government in question has witnessed a surge in its total staff employment list, the largest of its kind in the history of the education sector. Young and energetic N.d, N.c.e graduates were at last taken off the streets for good.
• The food handed down to people which is evidently well prepared is one of the greatest achievements of this administration towards improving the human lot of this great state because it is evident that feeding in the month of Ramadan is very much rewarding
• It was during Mallams administration that we as tertiary institution student got a 100% rise in scholarship and course with practical studies were recently given a rise, how sensitive of a humble fellow!
The soft loans handed out to unemployed youth after empowering them through seminars and workshops on things like soap making and poultry is a normal occurrence and a good sight to behold as some of those youths shot off on track to becoming great poultry farmers feeding families and dependents from a supposed paltry loan.
The seemingly inexhaustible roll call of Mallams human development oriented first four [4] years could be said to be simmered down in order to save space for the infrastructural side of the story. Thus, with the generality of the populace being humanely empowered, we could say that they are now ready to enjoy whatever infrastructure will be put in place at ease. A hungry man they say is an angry man and thus we might have been indisposed towards enjoying the supposed social amenities then.
Infrastructure is defined as ; public services or systems, the large scale public systems, services and facilities of a state or a region that are necessary for economic activity, including power and water supplies, public transport, telecommunications, roads, and schools. In this regard, we could however bear witness to the giant stride by the Shekarau administration to among other things provide;
• An enviable road network rehabilitation, upgrading and at most trying times demolition and renewal. We saw roads pass through the most remote locations never imagined in the history of the state and it is ongoing.
• Our state specialist hospital popularly referred to as asibitin murtala or birni was rehabilitated to the world standard that it was and a new well tarred road inset, the nasarawa specialist hospital popularly called Muhammad Abdullahi wasse was equally refurbished and a new tarred road inset also.
• We are witnessing the building of two world class ultra modern hospitals at giginyu and zoo road respectively, an effort we cannot seem to remember which of our past military and civilian governors made.
• Street lights and traffic lights in Kano were considered a thing of the past, alas!! We can now enjoy the comfort of a well lit street while we cruise the beautiful road networks of our dear city.
• A fly over bridge we were meant to believe is only for riverine areas and too expensive to build, thanks to this administration, a fly over bridge is almost at 60% completion stage at the outskirts of Kano to ease traffic.
• To compliment the aging water processing and supply plant at Challawa, Mallams administration built from scratch the Tamburawa water processing and supply plant and now, places with ghost pump head terminals are seeing water for the first time in ages.
• The same program ushered in once again a more refined and well structured Hisbah board, their presence on our junctions to help when the traffic warden is off at six o clock really touched the high and the low [we all know the traffic jams we witness]. Their mere presence prevented us, especially the youths from committing countless crimes, their words although always mocked at, are always a reminder for people of understanding, they sanitized indiscriminate alcohol consumption that hitherto was spreading like wild fire in our society, advised ladies to dress decently e.t.c.
• The turmoil that surrounded our post office environs was laid to rest by a fair compensation which sought to relocate the skilled youths to a well designed and equipped market at farm centre. It was evident that three months ago the road leading to the post office and the post office buildings themselves were quite elusive to the view and passing through which took a minimum of ten [10] minutes then, now takes less than two minutes to get through and the view of the post office is a spectacular sight to behold.
• The illegal refuse dump sites and street corner refuse dumps are now a thing of the past, thanks to the effort of the refuse management and sanitation board REMASAB. Overtime recurring potholes on our roads are constantly filled up and maintained through the effort of the state ministry for land and physical planning and Kano state urban development and planning division KNUPDA. Many thanks to mallams efforts in providing them with over twenty [20] heavy duty trucks, [all painted yellow for reference].
• The recent effort of this administration to equip kano line with long commuter buses for a start is a move that only our fathers saw during the Rimi and Audu Bako era.
As inexhaustible as the roll call of this administrations infrastructural development effort might seem, time and space will warrant our limiting the efforts here and move on to simply marrying the two move together.
Thus, it is becoming increasingly clear that human development should supersede infrastructural development which will ensue maximization of the opportunities provided by an equally capable citizenry.
As for our royal father, I would also like to use this medium to say a big thank you and a big “Ran Sarki ya dade!” It is evident that the most advanced and sophisticated civilizations which today pride themselves as being the best democracies did not find any cause to separate politics from the monarchy on who’s foundation politics was built and strongly relies upon. The romance between our political administration and our humble monarchy is a symbol of the level of trust and confidence the common people have for this administration which tends to transcend itself in the royal approval and blessing given to the leader of the administration I call “The Golden Era”
The above notes, although not statistically documented are the pure observations that we as the youth have seen on the ground and can’t help but say thank you to mallam shekarau once more for a job well done, so far so good. God bless him and give him the vision to move on as humbled as ever, if his supposed dreams for the highest seat of governance is going to be beneficial to his being, religion and our beloved nation, may God see him through to it, amen.
Long live the federal republic of Nigeria!
Long live Kano state!
United we stand, divided we fall [like a house of cards]
Nigeria! Good people, great nation!
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a free lance writer, neo pan africanist, you can reach him at www.muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
Harry S. Truman (1884 - 1972)
U.S. president.
It is evident to note by now that, no society has ever progressed and developed infrastructure wise with its human populace being handicapped.
It is on this premise that I will put forth my views on Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau’s person and administration. By party affiliation, I belong to the shekarau opposition camp, but the effort put in place is so glaringly clear that even a blind man could testify, so, I put political party affiliation aside, say the truth and shame the devil, and to remind you dear readers, my admitting the golden era of Mallam shekarau does not in any way make me less of an opposition that I was and will always be. It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly politics.
Categorically put forward, it could be deduced that the first four [4] years of Mallams administration was geared towards Human development, while the second part of the four [4] year tenure is being driven by Infrastructural development.
If you and I are hungry, impoverished, unemployed, insecure, and if our aging and dependent fathers who served this great state are not given their dues in good time or not paid at all as the case was, if portable pipe bone water had eluded the general populace and in their place we had instead, well tarred and glamorous roads, fancy Sallah events, world standard hospitals, extravagantly furnished ministries, fancy round-abouts and the likes. Then let me tell you something, a beautifully paved road and fancy clinic will not have people to walk it and admire it if the people are not well equipped, thus empowering the people to be employed and engaged would guarantee enjoyment of the facilities that would later be provided, and this is just what Mallam shekarau did in a nutshell, and it is what we are going to dwell upon, adore and appreciate and once again collectively say thank you.
“It is everlastingly true that on the whole the best guide to the future is to be found in a proper understanding of the lessons of the past”.
Warren G. Harding (1865 - 1923)
U.S. president.
Whatever the leaders of today put in place will be for the benefits of the youths of today who are presumably the leaders of tomorrow. We are going to start by examining the human development aspect of Mallams administration then later focus on the supposed infrastructural development and subsequently marry the two giant efforts together to rival and supersede the administrations of the likes of former governor Abubakar Rimi and Late Audu Bako of blessed memory combined.
The Mallam shekarau lead administration started off with a set of programs that were aimed at directly making an impact on the life of the poor and the downtrodden, the middle class and subsequently the elite to begin with;
• This administration restructured the salary package of the class room teacher, paid them in good time and looked into their general welfare.
• The A daidaita sahu program was put into mainstream governance which greatly helped in producing a more well behaved and refined citizen of Kano state thanks to constant radio messaging that readily reaches the common man in Kano state i.e “daidaita sahun nan yana nufin….mata su zauna gidan miji…daidata sahun nan yana nufin yan achaba su daina ganganchi.. e.t.c
• The same program brought in buses and tricycles that both young and old were employed by, which fed extensive families with, gave others the opportunity to be married , paid bills and school fees with, and gave out “sojan haya”, a term given to a person who works off a vehicle already assigned to another and still make money to survive. It also gave shelter to our mothers and grandmothers who instead would have been exposed to the dangers of Achaba riders and sex offenders.
• The Hisbah board systematically sought to and made a giant effort towards sanitizing our billboards which hitherto contained explicit and sometimes nude depictions of sensual female models in the crafty name of advertising and marketing.
• The Adaidaita Sahu inspired program was instrumental to the partitioning of almost all Kano state ministries bringing an end to free mixing of the sexes in their bit to contribute to nation building. What more of a Sharia system would we be asking for? [ I mean anywhere in the world].
• The Tsangaya system [ a system of Islamic education in northern Nigeria] sought to sanitize the Almajirai/allo system of education and thus, documented the ones worthy of caring and educating the young minds, provided them with the necessary learning materials, enlisted them in free food distribution during Ramadan, and provided them with soft financial assistance and strict monitoring as a pilot project to begin with.
• We the youth have been witnessing a near perfect and stress free Kallon Hawan Sarki due to effective and pro active arrangement jointly put in place during the whole week of Sallah by the Nigerian police force.
• The primary and post primary school within the government in question has witnessed a surge in its total staff employment list, the largest of its kind in the history of the education sector. Young and energetic N.d, N.c.e graduates were at last taken off the streets for good.
• The food handed down to people which is evidently well prepared is one of the greatest achievements of this administration towards improving the human lot of this great state because it is evident that feeding in the month of Ramadan is very much rewarding
• It was during Mallams administration that we as tertiary institution student got a 100% rise in scholarship and course with practical studies were recently given a rise, how sensitive of a humble fellow!
The soft loans handed out to unemployed youth after empowering them through seminars and workshops on things like soap making and poultry is a normal occurrence and a good sight to behold as some of those youths shot off on track to becoming great poultry farmers feeding families and dependents from a supposed paltry loan.
The seemingly inexhaustible roll call of Mallams human development oriented first four [4] years could be said to be simmered down in order to save space for the infrastructural side of the story. Thus, with the generality of the populace being humanely empowered, we could say that they are now ready to enjoy whatever infrastructure will be put in place at ease. A hungry man they say is an angry man and thus we might have been indisposed towards enjoying the supposed social amenities then.
Infrastructure is defined as ; public services or systems, the large scale public systems, services and facilities of a state or a region that are necessary for economic activity, including power and water supplies, public transport, telecommunications, roads, and schools. In this regard, we could however bear witness to the giant stride by the Shekarau administration to among other things provide;
• An enviable road network rehabilitation, upgrading and at most trying times demolition and renewal. We saw roads pass through the most remote locations never imagined in the history of the state and it is ongoing.
• Our state specialist hospital popularly referred to as asibitin murtala or birni was rehabilitated to the world standard that it was and a new well tarred road inset, the nasarawa specialist hospital popularly called Muhammad Abdullahi wasse was equally refurbished and a new tarred road inset also.
• We are witnessing the building of two world class ultra modern hospitals at giginyu and zoo road respectively, an effort we cannot seem to remember which of our past military and civilian governors made.
• Street lights and traffic lights in Kano were considered a thing of the past, alas!! We can now enjoy the comfort of a well lit street while we cruise the beautiful road networks of our dear city.
• A fly over bridge we were meant to believe is only for riverine areas and too expensive to build, thanks to this administration, a fly over bridge is almost at 60% completion stage at the outskirts of Kano to ease traffic.
• To compliment the aging water processing and supply plant at Challawa, Mallams administration built from scratch the Tamburawa water processing and supply plant and now, places with ghost pump head terminals are seeing water for the first time in ages.
• The same program ushered in once again a more refined and well structured Hisbah board, their presence on our junctions to help when the traffic warden is off at six o clock really touched the high and the low [we all know the traffic jams we witness]. Their mere presence prevented us, especially the youths from committing countless crimes, their words although always mocked at, are always a reminder for people of understanding, they sanitized indiscriminate alcohol consumption that hitherto was spreading like wild fire in our society, advised ladies to dress decently e.t.c.
• The turmoil that surrounded our post office environs was laid to rest by a fair compensation which sought to relocate the skilled youths to a well designed and equipped market at farm centre. It was evident that three months ago the road leading to the post office and the post office buildings themselves were quite elusive to the view and passing through which took a minimum of ten [10] minutes then, now takes less than two minutes to get through and the view of the post office is a spectacular sight to behold.
• The illegal refuse dump sites and street corner refuse dumps are now a thing of the past, thanks to the effort of the refuse management and sanitation board REMASAB. Overtime recurring potholes on our roads are constantly filled up and maintained through the effort of the state ministry for land and physical planning and Kano state urban development and planning division KNUPDA. Many thanks to mallams efforts in providing them with over twenty [20] heavy duty trucks, [all painted yellow for reference].
• The recent effort of this administration to equip kano line with long commuter buses for a start is a move that only our fathers saw during the Rimi and Audu Bako era.
As inexhaustible as the roll call of this administrations infrastructural development effort might seem, time and space will warrant our limiting the efforts here and move on to simply marrying the two move together.
Thus, it is becoming increasingly clear that human development should supersede infrastructural development which will ensue maximization of the opportunities provided by an equally capable citizenry.
As for our royal father, I would also like to use this medium to say a big thank you and a big “Ran Sarki ya dade!” It is evident that the most advanced and sophisticated civilizations which today pride themselves as being the best democracies did not find any cause to separate politics from the monarchy on who’s foundation politics was built and strongly relies upon. The romance between our political administration and our humble monarchy is a symbol of the level of trust and confidence the common people have for this administration which tends to transcend itself in the royal approval and blessing given to the leader of the administration I call “The Golden Era”
The above notes, although not statistically documented are the pure observations that we as the youth have seen on the ground and can’t help but say thank you to mallam shekarau once more for a job well done, so far so good. God bless him and give him the vision to move on as humbled as ever, if his supposed dreams for the highest seat of governance is going to be beneficial to his being, religion and our beloved nation, may God see him through to it, amen.
Long live the federal republic of Nigeria!
Long live Kano state!
United we stand, divided we fall [like a house of cards]
Nigeria! Good people, great nation!
Muhammad Tijjani Nakande, a free lance writer, neo pan africanist, you can reach him at www.muhammadnakandesworld.blogspot.com or email him at memzycool@yahoo.com
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