In this report, MU’AZU ABARI chronicles the achievements of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state on the backdrop of the conferment of the Leadership Politician of the Year award on the governor
Abuja, the nation’s capital, will today be at a standstill as people from all walks of life, namely, politicians, technocrats, political office holders, chief executives, party supporters and wishers converge for the 2014 Leadership Conference and Awards to some distinguished Nigerians for their outstanding contributions to the development of the country and its democracy.
Prominent among the recipients of these awards which are of different categories include former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is chosen as the Leadership Person of the Year, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state who won the Leadership Governor of the Year and Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (Galadiman Kwandare) of Nasarawa state who bagged Leadership Politician of the Year.
For us in Nasarawa state, the award on our amiable, workaholic and progressive governor on this crucial moment of our democratic journey to 2015 election is not only well deserving and timely but a great honour done to the entire people of Nasarawa who out of patriotism, resilience and doggedness and despite the intimidation, harassment and suppression stood firm to ensure Al-Makura’s emergence as governor in 2011 election without which this award would not have been possible.
Expectedly Ta’al as Al-Makura is fondly called has not disappointed the people of Nasarawa state going by his unprecedented achievements in the last three and half years which have boosted the image of the state in the eyes of the world.
To say Governor Al-Makura has kept faith with the electorate and endeared himself to the ordinary people of Nasarawa state is stating the obvious.
Leadership newspaper remarked on Al-Makura: “Against all odds he was elected governor on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in a PDP dominated state. Ever since, it has been for him a walk in a minefield. The situation was not helped even with the fusion of the party into the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the war between him and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) created anxiety and helplessness.
“The political struggle toughened him and has brought out the best in this quintessential politician. Al-Makura has deftly maneuvered, and survived the banana peels in the Nasarawa House of Assembly placed in his path by the dominant PDP with all the cards staked against him.
Al-Makura weathered an impeachment plot made easy by the resolve of the people to make the state ungovernable if he was removed. Political expediency prevailed and good sense won the day as an apostle of real politics. He stooped and he conquered as he was eventually acquitted of all charges against him.
“For surviving a malicious political onslaught, resisting a vicious attempt to undermine the will of the people and expanding the frontiers of the rule of law, Governor Tanko Al-Makura is Leadership Politician of the Year 2014”.
The above citation by the Leadership Newspapers Limited is just a tip of the iceberg among the many travails and political witch-hunting which governor Al-Makura has been subjected to by the PDP in Nasarawa state even before the triumph of the People’s Movement that brought him into Nasarawa Government House in 2011 election.
Al-Makura took over the affairs of Nasarawa state amidst many challenges ranging from poor finances, high debt profile to dilapidated infrastructure as well as insecurity.
As Al-Makura was still battling with how to overcome this mess created by various PDP governments, their so-called lawmakers decided to declare war against the administration instead of joining hands with him to move the state forward.
His administration continued to come under the bashing of both the lawmakers and Yunana Iliya led PDP executives who threatened the governor with impeachment over what they always described as insensitive and incompetent leadership as well as hearing impairments despite the massive development recorded by the administration.
It is in view of this that shortly before the commencement of the failed impeached plot against him and as part of activities marking the 2014 Democracy Day that Governor Al-Makura granted an interview to the state owned newspaper, Nigerian Newsday, where he fielded a wide range of questions and sum up the frustration of his administration thus: “When I came on board, I inherited N36 billion debts hanging on the neck of the state government. This amount constituted only those received from banks and financial houses, not to talk of other contractual debts. But as I am talking to you today, three years in office, I have completely exited from any kind of debt that was received by my predecessors. I have to pay contractors over 10 billion, all in all we spent close to N46 billion in settling outstanding commitments left for us by the previous administration.
“However, I am having a big bashing by the elite. The elite have had all the good times in the past, and because of the decadence of the past they wanted things to continue the way it was. They elite are my greatest challenge. They want us to conduct ourselves in a manner that has brought the state backward. So my satisfaction is the fact that, I have resisted any interference by the people that call themselves elite who bulldozed their way at the expense of the ordinary man.
“You see when we came on board in May 2011, we were at daggers drawn with the executive and legislature. It was a real war between the old and new order, between the forces of the past and the forces of change. The forces of status quo and that of new generation, it was a generational war, so to say. So, it was really tough. And what is more, we had only 4 of the 24 House of Assembly members with PDP having 20, coming with that kind of mentality of warfare.
“You remember there were speculations that the Assembly was going to impeach me but I didn’t lose my head, I didn’t lose my sleep because impeachment had to do with certain conditions, guidelines, rules and regulations in the constitution. I checked myself and saw that it was not possible for them to impeach me because there is nothing impeachable in my administration.
“Of all the governors in the federation, I can consider myself as one of the most vulnerable governors. The one faced with the most herculean challenges, but God being on my side and being in partnership with the very people that had elected us into office, I think the experience had been very rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that, when we came in we had an array of problems, of expectations, of covenant with the people, unfortunately, the sooner we got into office, other problems started coming out, so we kept our focus because we had a road map to tackle them gradually in line with our policies and ideologies. We had what we call the articles of faith of this administration. One is the fear of God, the second one is respect for the rule of law, three accountability and transparency and four re-orientation of the mind and thinking of our people. This has been the template, our special project vehicle which we used to accomplish some of these tasks by the special grace of God. With this approach, we have been able to solve some of these problems within 3 years in office.
“I think the greatest thing I have achieved is winning the people’s confidence. The people have accepted me and they trust me; and that trust keeps blossoming everyday and subsisting. Thus, what I consider more appealing is the amount of confidence, commitment of the very people that gave me their mandate. They keep making me stronger by the day. There is so much of the confidence that I would want to be immodest by blowing my trumpet by enumerating what you may call achievements. I do want to talk of things I have tried to impact, whether people will consider it as achievements or not, it is left for them to decide. However, my efforts are directed towards things that I consider to be most fundamental in moving the state forward.”
It is instructive that despite all these challenges and obstacles put on his way by the PDP Al-Makura was able to achieve what PDP and his detractors could not achieve in their 12 years rule in the state. His unprecedented adherence to rule of law, prudent management of resources, transparency and accountability exhibited as well as his ability to survive all banana peels of PDP and their lawmakers who are majority in the state House of Assembly in addition to endearing himself to the ordinary people of the state, among other factors, attracted the award of Leadership Politician of the Year to Governor Al-Makaura.
As if these honour done to him and the people of Nasarawa state is not enough, the National Mirror Newspapers has again awarded him their Best Governor of the Year 2014 in health service delivery going by his unprecedented achievements in this crucial sector.
For instance, Al-Makura inherited over 700 health centres out of which only 400 were functional. But within just 3 and half years the administration was able to supply enough equipment and drugs across the state.
Other achievements in this sector include building of ultramodern 160-bed hospital in Lafia, Akwanga and Nasarawa, completion and commission of drug complex as well as drug revolving scheme, supply of dialysis machines to specialists hospitals acquiring state of the art ambulances, reactivation of medical trucks, mobile hospitals, free treatment for the aged, children, pregnant women, among many other achievements.
As you win this dual award at this crucial moment that Nigeria is going into yet another election, the people of Nasarawa look forward to your emergence for the second term of another four years of more prosperity and achievements.
