Dr. Shehu Adamu Dan Fulani is Commissioner of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in Kaduna state. In this interview with Usman Ibn A. Lapai, he speaks on the government’s projection for 2017 and challenges, among other issues
Sir, you were once a lawmaker now heading a ministry .Would you say your experience as a lawmaker is of advantage to you?
Well, it is true that l am at one time a law maker and had cause to go to ministries, went on oversight functions making sure that things were done properly. What l found to be of an advantage is that l have known the appropriation law, l know what is oversight and l know what is required of me. So, l am following the law diligently, and abiding by the law and making sure that l am not misappropriating any fund that has been appropriated by the state house of assembly because in those days when we go to the ministries and found that someone has misappropriated, such persons find themselves in trouble so l don’t want to be in that kind of trouble.
What are your challenges?
Well, challenges are normal in any political appointment. When you are a lawmaker, you would have pressures from people of your constituency that elected you. Now that you are appointed you are more or less having more pressure from your boss who is expecting you to perform. So, the pressure from His Excellency to perform, to do well and to achieve now is a new challenge unlike before when the pressures coming from your constituency who elected you, who always wants you to speak on their behalf and always call for project to be taken to that particular location. With my new position you know is very different. You see, even as l am renovating BATCs, l have not renovated that of Soba where l come from because l am following due process. I am following the number of students per BATC because is what would determine what l am going to renovate. You see if l were a law maker, it would have been different l would say, where is BATC Soba and it would be first on the list so now l have to learn and know that l am not representing only a section of the state I am working for the entire state as a whole as such l have to do fairness and justice to all concerned. I am there for all irrespective of tribe or religion. Now, l am no longer a representative of just a particular section.
Under which party were you?
Of course l was in the opposition. ANPP, CPC and now APC.
We are at the tail end of 2016. What are your projection for 2017?
Well, as His Excelency, Governor El-Rufai use to say, in 2015 that we took over power, we were preparing. In2016, we are learning and now we have learnt. For 2017, we would fire on. We would double our efforts and make sure we impact on the lives of the common man more than what we have done so far, more than the monetary achievement because in the history of Kaduna state, all my stay as a law maker, there was no single time for the past 8yrs that the capital expenditure of the state had reach over 50% of what has been budgeted for except in this present administration. You can recall in 2013 and 2014 only 9% capital expenditure. But now we are talking about almost heating 50%. By 2017, by God’s willing, we would heat 80-90% capital expenditure. We would break the record not only in Kaduna state but in the entire country. This l assure you.
The fort-coming trade fair sir, what are you looking forward to?
We are discussing with my colleague from Kano and others states in the northern parts of the country. We want to generally change the way things are done because if you look at it, is just a fair of goods and services. Just shifting these wares from Abubakar Gumi market to the trade fair ground. We are going to start thinking on how to make it an international event where people Ghana, Mali ,and other Afrian and Asian countries would come and participate in the fare so that it would answer its real name of ‘international trade fair’.
Tourism is an area that could attract fund to the state. What is your ministry doing in this direction?
Actually if you look at it globally, there is a trend now that tourism is one of the key area that is generating huge amount of revenue. The present administration of His Excellency, Nasiru El-Rufai has realize the potentialities of Kaduna state in that aspect as such we are going to encourage this sector. His Excellency to this effect has directed the construction of a road on Kagoro hills which is one of the best tourism site not only in northern Nigeria but Nigeria as a whole because if you look at it, is by far bigger and much more of better scenery than the Ogbudu hills and Manbela hills. So by the time we finish the access road, further construction work would continue. We are also looking at inviting investors to come and take over some of the tourism sites like the Matarga waterfalls for us to have proper investment into it because is one of the potential areas of tourism in Kaduna state.
The state government is also partnering with some consultants to design certain annual activities that would attract people to Kaduna state. For instance, the music festival that was done last year is not going to take place this year. However by next year, Kaduna city itself would celebrate its centenary celebration of 100years. That is, 100yrs in existence. The city of Kaduna came into being in 1917 when Fredrick Luggard signed the master plan of Kaduna into law. So with that you can see that we are going to have a boost in tourist activities. In terms of hospitality, the state government has invited investors that are going to construct five star hotels in Kaduna state, some are also here to construct shopping Malls and other recreational facilities that would still attract people to Kaduna being the center of northern Nigeria and also centrally located in the country.
Sir, you are almost clocking two years in office. How has your ministry impacted on the lives of the people in the state especially those in the rural area?
Well, if you look at the situation before the assumption of His Excellency, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the ministry of commerce was in comatose. However, through its various activities particularly the creation of Katifa and committees of doing business and also the registration of business premises and ensuring that all other industrial activities are boosted, you can also see that we have embarked on the renovation of Business Apprentice Training Centers (BATC) across the state.
These are skills acquisition centers through which youths would learn different and various skills. The syllabus has been changed and the modus operand us of the training has also been changed. This is because we are going to train people that would come out well equipped and not be waiting for government jobs but would form cooperative societies, register their companies that they themselves would be generating money for use. So generally, not only the ministry of commerce and tourism , government is a form of synergy where the impact of one ministry is affecting the other. Generally the government of His Excellency, Mallam Nasirul El-Rufai has done well in impacting on the lives of common in Kaduna state.
