In a democratic setting, opposition, criticism and alternative viewpoints are common and variegated as the constituents meaning that it is to be expected given the diversity and heterogeneous nature of the polity and the political society.
However, it is desirable that criticism and alternative viewpoints pass the test of being constructive and result-oriented and not being merely distractive, vindictive and obstructive in all its negative ramifi cations.
Th ere have been compelling reasons and the need to explicitly account for the political chemistry in Kebbi State due to some imprecise and unfactual perspectives and reportage written probably by some paid agents or by agents of some defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts presumably to perpetuate self-promotional agenda.
Apparently, on the 18th July, 2017 there was a political analysis in the Daily Sun captioned; “Kebbi: Gov. Bagudu and 2019 challenge” where a self-styled veteran journalist, public relations consultant and indigene of Kebbi State, Yakubu Ahmed BK, ventilated his opinion and raised some issues with the leadership style of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
He alluded that the state’s helmsman has achieved very little in terms of infrastructural development, especially in Birnin Kebbi, even though, Bagudu is from the area unlike other past governors of Kebbi who had prioritized the infrastructural development of their areas of origin.
Also, Ahmed scored the Bagudu state administration low on infrastructure to enhance the development of farming in the state.
Th is allegation cannot be substantiated by the facts on ground which shows the state government has done more than any other state in the federation in terms of creating the enabling environment for a smooth and seamless takeoff of the famed agricultural revolution in the Land of Equity.
In fact, Ahmed is a lone voice wailing in the wilderness of baseless and directionless opposition given that the majority of citizens, stakeholders, opinion leaders and political activists in Kebbi State have continued to sing the praises of the action Governor Bagudu to high heavens because of his array of achievements in education, health, roads, power, water, human capital development, etc.
In another show of brazen deceit, misrepresentation of facts and orchestrated political agitprop by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, said PDP in the state is ready to reclaim power in view of the ongoing reconciliation and the setting up of the interim committee to manage the aff airs of the party by its national headquarters.
But the laughable and derisory of Turaki’s assertion is, he easily forgets that after 14 years of his party’s administration in the state, what they only left as legacy to were the gory and shamble structures, empty treasury and explicit underdevelopment with 90 percent of the state’s population living in abject despondency and despair.
In fact, PDP in Kebbi State is overwrought with internal crisis that led to the balkanization of the party into two warring factions, and the setting-up of another committee simply means further dividing the already bisected party into three groups, each one being engraved with overriding interest and motives.
Th erefore, the statement by Turaki is simply the wish of a daydreamer because all three of the state assembly members that secured their seats on PDP platform and thousands of their supporters have since decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing Bagudu’s unprecedented achievements as reason for their defection.
Th ough people are entitled to their own opinions the listeners and consumers of such assertions equally have a right to calibrate what is coming to them in order to separate facts from lies and deceits.
Today in Kebbi State, Governor Bagudu has within two years of his stewardship achieved what previous administrations have failed to achieve in 14 years and has demonstrated to the people of the state what good governance is all about.
In education sector, for instance, Governor Atiku Bagudu has faced with vigour the issue of backlog of debts owed WAEC and NECO head-on by ensuring that the over N280 million owed these examination institutions is cleared thus enabling Kebbi State students to access their examination results that were withheld in 2015.
Further, various schools have been built and old ones have been renovated with state-of-art educational facilities.
Also, N900 million was expended on water expansion project in Birnin Kebbi as it’s apparent that rapid economic development is impossible without stable water supply.
Even in the area of power, the purposeful administration of Bagudu has been quite proactive, ensuring the connection of major towns and cities to the national grid as well as the provision of hundreds of transformers in residential areas, commercial centers, schools, universities, hospitals, among others.
In fact, cross sections of Kebbi populace have vigorously commended the governor for ensuring stable power supply which was previously a scarce commodity in the state.
On road infrastructure, Governor Bagudu has similarly displayed ingenuity and creativity by applying scarce resources prudently, thus ensuring that thousands of kilometers of urban and rural roads have been either constructed or rehabilitated using direct labour so as to avoid contract cost overruns.
While for those whose faculty is reasoning well and are equally aware of the happenings within the nation, they must know that Kebbi State is the only state in the North that is synonymous with agricultural development as an alternative source of revenue generation and job creation not only to the state but the nation as a whole.
Indeed, other states have sent emissaries to Kebbi State to understudy the rice pyramids that are sprouting throughout the state all due to the foresight, sense of direction and purposeful conviction of Governor Atiku Bagudu; undeniably the man of the hour who is poised to take his beloved state to the proverbial promised land notwithstanding the minority voices of perennial naysayers, double guessers and malcontents within the system.
Kabiru writes from Birnin Kebbi
