In this piece, BASHIR MOHAMMED examines Governor Umar Ganduje’s objectives of domesticating the Change Begins With Me Campaign of the federal government
Change begins with me mantra
At the time President Muhammadu Buhari, formally launched his administration’s Change Begins With Me mantra, in September 2016, every citizen in the country is aware of the seeming rot in the system that needs to be cleansed to set a good precedence, for those at the top echelon of authority to take a cue.
It was however the contention of President Buhari that Nigeria is in dire need of clinical cleansing in almost all spheres of human endeavours knowing that with the Augean Stable not clean, the quest for entrenching some same-balance of good governance would continue to remain elusive chimera.
For the impact of the Change Begins With Me campaign launched by the President extended to the 36 states in the country, governors had also taken the bull by the horns in ensuring that the campaign was successfully replicated in their states.
Ganduje replicates change campaign Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is one of the governors, who out of his concern to replicate the effort of the President, sought to make the campaign acceptable and relevance to the people of Kano state, taking into cognizance that there is urgent need for addressing certain vex issues concerning attitudinal change for those in positions of authority to discern the imperative of upholding public trust.
The governor, had hit the nail on the head, while launching the Change Begins With Me campaign, at a time when the State Public Complaints and Anti- Corruption Commission swung into action to check malfeasances in public service being perpetrated by looters of public till as their birth right.
Attitudinal change Two years after launching the Change Begins With Me campaign, Governor Ganduje saw wisdom in domesticating the campaign, for human attitudinal change to be observed and ensure that Kano as a bastion of revered cultural norms of immense Islamic scholarship is bereft of negative social vices.
Ganduje in his usual characteristics of convening relevant stakeholders to brainstorm on vital issues affecting the state, launched the domestication of the Change Begins With Me campaign in the presence of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, a cream of Islamic scholars, gurus from the academia, parents and relevant security chiefs, among others.
Speakers after speakers, mounted the rostrum to present a thoughtprovoking expose on how the governor’s domestication feat should be executed and pursued to a logical conclusion with the Emir of Kano, striking the chord that set the stage for the campaign to be emboldened in the interest of the audience listening the programme live to comprehend the good intention of the government.
Keynote address Governor Ganduje in his keynote address, called on the people of Kano to rise to the challenge of imbibing the culture of morality, decorum and decency for the major ills permeating the society to be corrected for the benefit and wellbeing of all and sundry.
In the address “tagged” Kowa ya bata ya sani, held at the Coronation Hall, Kano Government House, Ganduje, said no society could ever prosper and attain the height of greatness with pure societal values thrown to the dogs, adding that domesticating the change mantra had been informed and inspired by his will to lend credence to the change mantra of the Buhari administration.
According to him, the issue of governance and selfless leadership in an ideal democratic setting, could only be realistic if the institution of governance are clean and bereft of the negative indices, retarding the quest for development and progress positing that the issue of imbibing decorum, morality and decency in upholding public trust was accorded high priority, for the change mantra to succeed.
He however stated that his administration had initiated series of empowerment programme for the teeming unemployed youths in the state to have a sense of belonging by acquiring the basic vocational skills with millions of naira injected into the scheme, affirming that the disturbing spate of drug abuse, is being confronted with vigour and seriousness. Emir of Kano Speaking earlier, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, said the institutions of genuine family values had crumbled leading to sheer loss of confidence in the ability of those entrusted with the task of making the system to work effectively, adding that the concept of oppression and tyranny had been glorified by those who considered oppressing others as worthwhile. He pointed out that there was no justifiable premise for men to embark on persecution spree, simply because the Women they are married to are taking command from them affirming that no exploitation was ever justified and that the values and norms of marriage institutions must be strictly observed for both parties to enjoy a long lasting marital bliss.
He said” you cannot born a child or quite a number of children and abandon them to their fate. As a father one has to be fully live to the herculean task of ensuring the upbringing of his children. I wondered why people should be having wives without taking into consideration the imperatives of breeding responsible children”.
Dismal situation of Almajiris “Look at the dismal situation of Almajiris, they are just roaming the street like vagabonds, simply because their parents sold them off . The issue of begging in the name of seeking Islamic education is prohibited in Islam. People should understand that the unwholesome practice is a great disservice to the society”.
“It is the responsibility of the government to create a law guiding the conduct of marriage and the observance of the values and norms of marriage institutions. I always tell my daughters not to consider their marital abode as a place for them to persevere all forms of persecution and oppression in the name conjugal bliss. Once your daughter is persecuted by her life partner, call her back and break the relationship” he stressed.
Sharia He said the Kano emirate Council had been inundated with myriad of cases and endless complaints that bordered on immorality and absolute lack of decorum and human decency, stressing that absence of a law guided by Sharia to punish the perpetrators of gross immoral acts had been a major stumbling block to the quest for making the society clean.
On ways to curb the persistent cases of drug abuse in the state, the monarch said the Kano emirate council had swung into action by taken punitive steps to check drug abuse within its fold positing that no traditional tittle holder would ever remain on his leadership throne if he was found to be in the habit of drug abuse.
Remarks In his remarks, Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Buhari administration was committed to the task of sustaining the values and ideals encapsulated in the Change Begins With Me mantra adding that the issue of credible leadership, could only be entrenched if those at the helms of affairs proved to live above board.
On his part, Kano State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Rabiu Yusuf, harped on the need for entrenching and embracing the concept of community policing, for hardened criminals and other hoodlums to be exposed, adding that the Kano State Police Command is committed to the task of maintaining law and order as enshrined in the constitution.
However, the general view is that the domestication of the Change Begins With Me campaign launched by Ganduje, eloquently demonstrated the governor’s resolve to match his words with action on eff ecting attitudinal change that would make Kano stand out from moral degeneration, and ultimately envy of other states in the country
