By Salihu Tanko Yakasai
The long-awaited official visit of the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to
his most solid political base in the whole country, i.e. Kano State will become
a reality anytime from now.
It is expected that Mr. President will embark on a 3-day
official visit to the most
populous State in the federation during which he
will commission some landmark projects executed by the administration of His
Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
OFR, inspect on-going ones, and also some private agro-based industries and
meet with the cream of the society made of the Ulama, traditional rulers,
businessmen and political bigwigs and lay the foundation stone of other
gargantuan ones.
For long, Kanawas have been longing for this historic visit
since the epoch-making elections of 2015 when the APC swept away the then
ruling PDP at federal and state levels. But due to some intervening variables,
Mr. President could not make this visit prompting speculations by some
political funambulists to insinuate that the most populous politician in Kano
State has forsaken his political base which is very far from the truth. Kano
people will forever remain loyal and solidly supportive of Mr. President and I
am sure he will never jettison Kanawas through thick or thin.
Equally worth-mentioning is that the amiable Governor of Kano
State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, OFR is also a Buhari loyalists and he has
demonstrated this in both words and actions on several occasions which has
angered some desperate politicians who accuse him of disloyalty, “anti-party”
activities and betrayal of their “cause and ideology” as if he is subservient
to someone rather than being the chief executive of Kano State who is accountable
to the Almighty and the people who voted for him en masse. Mr. President, be
rest-assured that the Governor, his administration and majority of the people
of the State are yours and when you visit, you will see huge crowds of Kanawas
that will line the streets to welcome you chanting in chorus Maraba! Maraba!
Maraba! Sai Buhari! Sai Buhari! Sai Buhari! Sa Mai Gaskiya! Sai Mai Gaskiya!
Sai Mai Gaskiya! Sai Baba! Sai Baba! Sai Baba!
Though not a fortune-teller, I am sure the successful visit of
Mr. President to Kano State will give some desperate politicians sleepless
nights because they will then realize that they have no any political base upon
which to realize their self-centred political ambition because Kano ta Buhari
ce da Ganduje.
Mr. President, let me be the first to welcome you to Kano State
because during this visit you will see the laudable progress so far recorded by
the present administration of His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
supported by loyal lieutenants. In fact, in the last two years since the
Ganduje administration came to power, we have seen unprecedented transformation
in the form of infrastructural development, implementation of people-centred
policies and programmes especially empowerment of youth and women as well as
the determined efforts of the State Government to ensure the security of lives
and property of the citizenry.
These are not a mean achievement especially as some assume that
the governor is not the right stuff to assume the governorship of the State and
they have not relented in their futile efforts to cast him in bad light.
However, the people are much wiser and things are becoming much clearer by the
day.
It is really a great achievement for the Ganduje administration
to consistently pay salary to public servants and still execute these numerous
money-guzzling projects within this period of two years since its assumption of
office. While other States are grappling with salary liabilities for many
months, the State Government has been paying a colossal monthly wage bill of
about N10 billion. Mr. President, this is a great achievement and the Governor
deserves a pat on the back for this has demonstrated his prudent management of
scarce financial resources, acumen, transparency and accountability.
Mr. President is scheduled to commission two mega hospitals
inherited and completed by the Ganduje administration which will impact
directly on the lives of the people unlike some elephant projects executed by
others for mere prestige and self-deification. The government also installed
state-of-the-art equipment with a view to providing efficient and effective
healthcare services to the teeming people of the State. The completion of these
two projects in particular has clearly demonstrated that Dr. Ganduje is not a
short-sighted politician as others wilfully refuse to complete projects
initiated by their predecessors however important they are to the betterment of
the lives of the people that defied rains and sun to vote them into office.
Apart from spending billions of Naira to complete the two health
facilities, the Ganduje administration also expended the sums of
N964,883,036.56 and N1,999,053,126.54 for the procurement of modern equipment
and furniture for the 250-bed Zoo Road Paediatric and 250-bed Giginyu
Specialist Hospitals respectively, these equipments and furniture have been
successfully installed ready for commissioning by our august visitor in sha
Allah. During his recent visit to the hospitals, the Hon. Minister of Health
was highly impressed by these ultra-modern pieces of equipment which he
described as the first of their kind in the country that will go a long way in
preventing medical tourism by some Nigerians that flock to foreign countries in
search of quality healthcare services.
Other gigantic projects to be commissioned by Mr. President
include the multi-billion Naira Madobi-Panshekara underpass embarked upon by
the present administration in order to ensure safe motoring, bring to an end
chaotic traffic jam and beautify the environment, the CBN Quarters Road, among
a host of many others all executed within a space of two years of the present
administration.
Also, Mr. President will embark on inspection visits to some
projects which include the resuscitated Kano Agricultural Supply Company
(KASCO) that has been provided with a second modern fertilizer blending line
and the company now supplies assorted fertilizer to even the federal and some
state governments. Unlike before, KASCO is now a very profitable entity ably
run by a new team of visionary and dedicated management staff which is to the
credit of the Ganduje administration.
There is no doubt that the Buhari administration has clearly
made its policy on agriculture known loud and clear so that the age-long
over-reliance on oil will be a thing of the past and the Ganduje administration
has unwaveringly towed this line. That is why it has been according the
agricultural sector much-needed support in terms of provision of fertilizer and
other inputs and credit support to local farmers.
To this end, the President will inspect some private rice mills
established by some businessmen to support the federal government initiatives
on local rice production to reduce its importation that guzzles billions of US
Dollars annually.
One project that is dear to Gov. Ganduje is the on-going
multi-billion Naira ultra-modern skills acquisition centre project aimed at
training the youth of both sexes in about 22 vocational skills in an effort to
make them self-reliant and productive. It is this gigantic project that Mr.
President will inspect especially as contract for the supply and installation
of equipment worth about N2 billion at the centre has been awarded recently by
the State Government.
Another inherited project which the Governor is bent on
completing under a PPP arrangement is the Kanawa Modern Market (Kano Economic
City) and that is why Mr. President will lay the foundation of this ambitious
project that will transform the commercial landscape of the State and even the
West African sub-region. Upon completion, the market will consist of thousands
of shops of various sizes, hotel, and other modern facilities/amenities. In
addition, Mr. President will visit the famous Kantin Kwari Textile Market to
witness the on-going modernization projects embarked upon by the State Government
in line with the consistent policy of the Ganduje administration to modernize
all major markets in the State aimed at creating a conducive
commercial/business environment.
So, Mr. President, Kano State is working as it is undergoing
rapid socio-economic transformation under Gov. Ganduje. Remarkable achievements
have been recorded and the Kanawas are very appreciative of this progress which
you will see in sha Allah when you visit this ancient and historic city of
Kano, how i wish you will stay for months, to be able to visit all the projects
embarked upon by Ganduje, as two days will certainly not be enough to go round
and see them all. All this despite the recent economic recession in the country
that affected all tiers of government, but our amiable and far-sighted Governor
has weathered the storm. Apart from initiating new projects, the Governor has
vowed on several occasions to complete all inherited projects that have direct
bearing on the lives of the teeming people of the State and we have seen that
he has kept to his promises as a gentleman with vast experiences garnered from
various public spheres.
Salihu
Tanko Yakasai is the Director General, Media & Communications, Government
House, Kano.
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