By Hassan Musa K/Mata
Taking over the mantle of leadership of Kano state about two years ago, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje declared that huge liabilities, lean federal allocations, dwindling Internally Generated Revenue and slim state’s treasury, will affect adequate development and distribution of democratic dividends.
The governor kept enlisting the support and understanding of the good people of Kano state, considering the fact that many governors found activities in their respective states virtually grounded, even as some state governments have had to struggle to pay salaries.
That, however, has not in any way become an impediment to Governor Ganduje’s resolve and commitment to carry out the lofty ideals for which his administration stands for because he has been an embodiment of revolutionary policy initiatives. That was given expression by his infrastructural renewal in the state. Therefore, few months after assuming duty, he deployed his experience of having been a two term deputy governor in disbursing the scarce funds of the state into tangible developmental projects in Kano state.
The governor, having inherited over 2000 on-going projects from the previous administration, made clear the direction of his administration to be predicated on continuation, consolidation, fine tuning of on-going critical infrastructural projects embarked upon by the previous administrations and initiation of more people oriented policies and programs.
To begin with, the governor realised that the only way government can realise its objectives of executing policies and programmes is sound financial base through a proper and effective tax policy and a reliable financial stronghold for tax payers’ money to be used judiciously. I am happy to say here that the tax policy reform embarked upon by the Ganduje administration has started yielding results, as one of the gigantic projects of the present administration in Kano state-the construction of Bukavu Barracks underpass-is funded from internally generated revenue.
Governor Ganduje looked into the infrastructural deficit in Kano state and what could be done to open up more towns and villages by reconstructing existing roads and constructing new ones, completing on-going projects that were inherited, constructing feeder roads, rehabilitating bridges and doing new ones, renovating schools and colleges, hospitals, and generally creating the necessary environment for new investments and foreign capital. These deliberate measures are beginning to produce immense results and Kano state is a first-choice destination for conferences, seminars/workshops, tourism and investment.
In less than two years in office, Ganduje has ensured the completion of inherited road projects and construction of several new township roads in urban and semi-urban areas including local government
headquarters. His government also invested in regional roads and feeder roads to link commercial centres with rural communities and continuation of the construction of 5 KM dualised roads with streetlights and drainages in some of the 44 local governments so that farm produce would easily get to the urban population.
The Ganduje administration also continues to integrate road development with modern urban scheme. It ensures that roads are interlocked into transportation networks that ease access and prevent congestion in the cities and urban peripheries.
The administration had continued to use the road networks to solve the erosion menace that had bedevilled the town for years by creating drainages and water collection and discharge points.
It is also providing and installing street lights in urban, semi-urban and local government headquarters to reduce accident and brighten communities and reduce the risk of criminal activities.
On education, given the generally acclaimed status of education in the improvement of society, the Ganduje government has given education the attention it earns.
The state government has constructed 348 new classrooms including provision of 6,960 sets of equipment across the state, execution of rehabilitation of blocks of classrooms and distribution of instructional materials, provision of 3-seater desks and chairs in the state’s public schools, by the Education Promotion Committee, and most recently, the introduction of the Kano Basic Education Week to be celebrated every year.
As promised by Ganduje, the health sector also receives a facelift with the continuation of construction works at abandoned Paediatric Hospital Zoo Road, Giginyu General Hospital, completion and commissioning of renovation of Dambatta General Hospital, upgrading of D/Tofa Cottage Hospital to General Hospital, renovation of Yadakunya Leprosy Hospital; renovation and construction at School of Health Technology, Bebeji, etc.
The administration also established two permanent Artificial Insemination Centres at Kadawa and Dambatta, resuscitated the State Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO) to sufficiently meet farmers’ fertilizer demand and constructed 1000 tube wells across Fadama sites in order to boost the agricultural sector in the state.
Considering the importance of information and communication technology, the Ganduje administration also rehabilitated its Data Bank to facilitate storage and retrieval of information/data about all Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and local government areas in the state, supply and installation of digital broadcast equipment at Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV), rehabilitation of buildings and offices at Kano State Radio Corporation, Gidan Bello Dandago.
Several infrastructural development projects were also executed in the water sector which included the installation of Raw Water and High lift Pumps at various water works; laying of 1000mm diameter D.I. Pipes from Tamburawa to Hadejia Road (23.1km), rehabilitation and construction of three tube wells each at Wudil Water Treatment Plant; on-going construction of 88 solar powered boreholes, two each within 44 local government areas, on-going rehabilitation of Bagauda Dam etc On environment, there are projects like fortification of embankment protection along Challawa Road, erosion control at Yaryasa bridge along Tudun Wada Jos road, construction of drainages at Giginyu quarters in Nassarawa local government, Tudun Wazirchi, Kabara and Chiranchi quarters, Link 67 Albarka, Dorayi Babba, behind Forestry in Gwale local government, Ja’en in Kumbotso local council, Construction of drainage with cover slabs and interlock at Sharadar Malam B in Municipal council etc.
While Ganduje continues to churn out new projects for the benefit of the teeming populace in Kano, there is the need for the people to give their support by ensuring that they pay their taxes promptly. That will not only give them the courage to tell the government what they want and what they don’t, but also protect the provided infrastructure from getting vandalised.
K/Mata is PA to Commissioner for Information, Kano State
