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Yuguda’s
democracy credentials
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The saying that “Man proposes
but God disposes” cannot be more apt than in the case of an
honourable gentleman who was having and fulfilling a career in the
banking industry, working diligently and assiduously with
determination, concern, sincerity, focus and praying fervently to
the creator to spare his life to serve the people from whose wealth
he was educated.
Unknown to him, the Almighty Creator had answered his prayers and
designed a more challenging assignment for him that of salvaging the
people who had for long been in bondage in a climate of leadership
of insensitivity, exploitation, deprivation and hopelessness with
over N18.7billion of their funds stolen by those who presided over
the affairs of the poor state from 1999 – 2007.
This man is no any other than Malam Isa Yuguda (Matawallen Bauchi)
and a messiah to his people.
The people in reference here are the indigenes of Bauchi state, the
home of Africa’s largest Games Reserve (Yankari), the home to
Nigeria’s first and last prime minister, the home to the famous
nationalist, Sa’adu Zungur and the political training ground to some
of Nigeria’s foremost politicians the likes of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka,
Malam Aminu Kano, Yarima Balla, Alhaji Garba Aminu, Bello Ijumu,
Abdurrahaman Okene, Hassan Kosasshe Ahmed, Sulen Jebu, Abdu Gobe
Zantashi, Sani Minista, Musa Maifam Dari, Dr. Bala Muhammed, etc.
The state is blessed with vast agricultural potentials capable of
feeding the entire Nigerian nation; and indeed, the state has been a
supporting pillar to Nigeria’s political stability since
independence.
Throughout history, great nations of the world have had great men
and women, patriots and pioneers who served as national volunteers
to chart the course of national redemption for their lands.
Though some of these great men sought to lead the people, some had
the opportunity thrust upon them while others even imposed
themselves on the land as self-styled leaders but endeavoured to
deliver their nations from the pangs of poverty to prosperity.
This is the story of Malam (Dr) Isa Yuguda in brief.
The defining moment was in April 2007 when the stage was set up by
the Almighty Allah for this visionary and astute politician who
served as a banker and an accomplished technocrat, and an unassuming
manager of human and material resources to appear on the scene to
take the mantle of leadership of Bauchi state.
This happened at a time when all hope seemed to have been lost for
the average indigene of the state, with the state’s economy in total
coma, with health facilities in very pathetic situation. While
essential social services and amenities extinct, with public
infrastructures had decayed with the educational system in shambles.
Agriculture which is the mainstay of the state’s economy fared no
better as its production was at the lowest ebb despite the huge
potentials of the state.
To end the pathetic situation, the public service which should have
been the engine room of development was brought to its knees and
left without bearing and proper direction.
The only hope for the change of baton from the old order was the
acceptance of Yuguda to contest the governorship of the state on
April 14, 2007. No politician in the whole state accepted to venture
into such an expensive risk of challenging the power of incumbency
and the strength of the party in power if not the courageous, the
anointed and the destined.
The circumstances that brought Malam Isa Yuguda to power in Bauchi
state through the freest election can rightly be described as the
divine certification of the Almighty God and not any other mortal.
Since he assumed office on May 29, 2007, Malam Isa has given in much
in service delivery in his quest to serve humanity in his new found
leadership position; the story cannot be complete without a look at
how he positively impacted his wealth of experience on the lives of
the people, for the true test of a man’s worth and integrity lies
not in his opportunities but on how he uses those opportunities to
help others and to make the world a better place than he met it. It
is therefore in this context that I peeped into the various
contributions of governor Yuguda since he assumed office in May
2007.
Since the famous inauguration of his administration, the story of
Bauchi state has dramatically changed for the better and all the
people including those in blind opposition are proud to be indigenes
of Bauchi state once again.
First, in a very humble and unassuming fashion, governor Yuguda
demystified power by declining the comfort of the office which was
borne out of a deep conviction that people must have a different
orientation on leadership; for him, leaders must see themselves as
partners in development where the leader must play the role of the
custodian of the peoples commonwealth and must be prepared to render
an account of stewardship to the Almighty God whatever he does as
admonished in the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and where people
must understand that as the Holy Bible decrees, “whoever wants to be
great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first,
must be a slave of all….”(Mark 10:42-45).
Based on the stated above, Yuguda then moved on to encapsulate a
vision and mission in Bauchi state because he believes that a people
without a vision are a people without a mission and a people without
a mission are a people on a hopeless adventure. Within two years in
office, the creative and ingenious leader refocused Bauchi state and
began a process of political and economic re-engineering to
transform the state into one of the three top most developed in
Nigeria thus staking some landmark decisions that are positively
affecting the lives of the people.
Some of these include the settlement of NECO and WAEC examination
fees for all students of the state origin, provision of free primary
and secondary schools education, increase in the salary of civil
servants and provision of brand new luxury cars to the civil
servants on loan with a 50 percent subsidy and repayable in five
years, compulsory immersion in information technology and
e-compliance training for all civil servants; institutionalization
and strict compliance to due process, probity and accountability in
government business; support to federal establishments in the state
for effective service delivery.
Other notable achievements of Governor Yuguda include regular
release of funds to local government councils for capital projects,
improvement of environmental sanitation and beautification of the
state capital and other major cities in the state, free medical
services to pregnant women and children under-five years of age in
public hospitals, establishment of an agency to provide job
opportunities and skills acquisition to unemployed youths and women
with over 50,000 youths and women now in gainful employment in both
the public and private sectors; adequate support to security
agencies, thus transforming Bauchi state to a safe haven for
investors, total democratization of the electoral process through
non-interference and demystification of “godfather” syndrome in
Bauchi politics.
Perhaps one remarkable and indelible achievement that has brought
comfort to the people is Yuguda’s settlement of backlog of
gratuities and retirement benefits owed retirees by the past
administration. This singular but commendable action gave succor to
the senior citizens who paid their dues in active service to the
state.
The Yuguda administration also adopted the Public Private
Partnership initiative in mobilizing resources to finance specified
development projects across the state and provided 50 percent
subsidy on fertilizers to support agricultural production that led
to the emergence of Bauchi state as a leading grains producer in
Nigeria today; He facilitated the establishment of several
micro-finance institutions to stimulate economic activities in the
state and extended a loan of N2billion to traders and artisans to
support commerce and other trades with N500million first installment
released to the beneficiaries.
Other outstanding achievements of governor Yuguda in Bauchi state
include the over-hauling and repositioning of the educational
system.
Several bore-holes complete with reticulation and over-head tanks
were provided to all public secondary schools, all dilapidated
schools were renovated while brand new ones were constructed and
fully equipped, text books in all subjects were provided to all
schools from kindergarten to tertiary institutions in the state free
while school buses were provided, feeding allowances of students was
increased and the welfare of the teaching staff was improved for
effective service delivery.
Retired but not tired teachers were re-engaged and placed on mouth
watering salary as state-of-the-art furniture were supplied to all
public schools.
The Yuguda administration introduced a close working relationship
and collaboration with other institutions in the country for
placement of its students as some of its brilliant students were
sponsored to overseas countries for courses in aeronautical
engineering, medicine and other relevant courses.
Another landmark achievement of governor Yuguda is the realization
of his desire to provide decent and affordable shelter for the
people by embarking on the construction of several housing projects
scattered all over the 20 local governments in the state with over
5,000 of those houses near-completion.
As a political guru, governor Yuguda in a most unique manner had
introduced a quarterly stakeholders meeting to compare notes and
carry members of the opposition parties along in governance. This
has been the governor’s unique style of changing the people’s
perception of public office holders, for believes that to a large
extent, the generality of the people have lost confidence and trust
in government, governance, public officers and in politicians.
It is worthy to note that for his commitment to openness,
transparency, probity and accountability, governor Yuguda within six
months in office established the Due process Department, Debt
Management office and signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Bill
as the first state in Nigeria to initiate such a bill.
Despite all the efforts put-in-place by governor Yuguda to improve
the living standard of the people, there are those determined to
pull down his administration through fictitious, baseless and
mischievous petitions as the only cheap weapon at their disposal to
use against the governor.
Those mischief makers, who failed to rescue the state from hunger,
disease, poverty and squalor when they were in power, have resolved
to destabilize the administration of Yuguda at all cost with an
effective use of across section of the media.
Fortunately enough, majority of the people are in support of the
laudable programmes of Yuguda and are determined to protect the
administration anytime and anywhere as they brought it to power in
2007.
SANUSI MUHAMMAD is SA (Media Affairs), Bauchi; uchinjangwarzo@yahoo.com
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