Kebbi and Bagudu’s change regime

By Bashari Balarabe

In an attempt and quest to get a workable system of democrary where the axiomatic dividends of democracy could be explicitly reaped, during the 2015 general elections, Nigerians congregated and voted for the Muhammadu Buhari-led ‘Change Regime’ under the All Progressives Congress. It’s now two years since the emergence of the APC governments in many states of the federation. With that the people of Kebbi State have evidently reaped what they have sown under Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

Certainly, leadership and statesmanship are not easy or trifling tasks as those who aim for true greatness in the art of governance must of necessity be enamored of certain attributes or qualities that stand them out from the pack and accord them rightful place among deserving personalities who have stood the test of time and are still found unassailable and unrivalled in all positive indices of leadership.

For instance, during the First Republic, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region, was seen as a repository of courage, wisdom tolerance and fortitude to the extent that he successfully led millions of the region’s indigenes and was a rallying point for the unity and cohesion of diverse religions, languages, cultures and tendencies from that part of the country. To this day, Sir Ahmadu Bello continues to be revered and adulated for bringing tremendous and frenetic development in academic, industrial and infrastructural sectors of the region while preaching tolerance and unity across the length and breadth of the nation as well as the sustenance of democratic ideals in all its positive ramifications.
However, after the transition of the Sardauna, his successors both within the region and the nation at large did not follow through on his vision and dynamism thus spreading disenchantment and disillusion among the citizenry.

Many believed that politicians and public office holders alike were not to be trusted with the mantle of leadership or authority as they were sure to disappoint their followers. However,  all hope is not lost in the leadership arena if feelers coming out from Kebbi State are anything to go by as Governor  Bagudu has proved many doubters and naysayers wrong in his determination to  take the level of social, economic, infrastructural and industrial development of the state to greater heights

To Kebbians, the present APC-led government has set a pardigm change from the hitherto despondent and despair situation from the previous regimes of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where the government was only accountable to some minorities who decides who gets what and what are to be done at the detriment of the majority. To Governor Bagudu, the entire Kebbi State is his constituency and the whole Kebbians are his constituents and therefore he’s the governor for all and when it comes to projects execution, it should spread evenly and justifiably too.
Furthermore, within the two years of his stewardship, all the sub-sectors of the economy recieved tremendous and remarkable feats.

In the health sector, new hospitals were built and old ones renovated when the government launched N275 million equipment for the state’s hosptitals, with over N100 million to combat malnutrition. In addition, 32 Kebbi state indigenes were sponsored to study medical science in various universities in India and Sudan with the intent that upon their completion of study and return, these indigenes would join the state’s the health sector to facilitate and critcally reduce the maternal mortality rate in the Kebbi State.

In order to open up all the corridors in the state, the government has spent billions of naira to construct different roads which include the rehabilitation of the Yauri-Zuru road and many others within the state. The road  network iniative is to boost the transportation of agricultural produce to the markets, increase   accessibility to health care facilities by the rural dwellers and equally reduce stress and travel  time.

Kebbi State is synonymous with rice production, to say that it is the leading rice producer in this part of the world is an understatement as the full potential in this area was yet to be fully achieved. Nigeria sure needs Kebbi State if it is to meet it rice demand and export as well. That is the wisdom that drove Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State to Birnin Kebbi to avail Lagosians of the good quality rice made possible by Governor Bagudu.

But  the administration has gone   beyond relying or emphasizing on only   rice farming as over 28 million naira was distributed to   fish farmers in the state while their 4,900 soya beans counterparts have recieved the government empowerment packages to have all inclusive farming system in the state.
Therefore, for one to sum up what was achieved within the two years  of Bagudu as Governor of Kebbi State in a single piece like this, he might be economical with the truth on the over all performance of the   governor.

Balarabe writes from Zuru, Kebbi state

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