SALISU IBRAHIM? writes that while the honeymoon period for Governor? Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso administration seems? over in Kano State, the commercial nerve-centre is facing tremendous challenges of critical infrastructure and man-power development.
Six months in four year tenure is not long enough to judge the performance of a government, but the period is quite enough to know the direction of a government. In Kano State, the period may be regarded as a time of “honey moon”, in which very important and not so cozy things happened. With what is going on in the state it seems the honey moon is over now.
When the state governor, Engineer Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso was sworn in, the honeymoon between him, his closest associates, and the general public was very palpable. Now it seems the union is over with so many happenings within the six month period. Conveniently, one can say that there was the good, the bad and the not so ugly in the six month period of the state governor that was heralded with so much fun and pageantry.
Now that? Kwankwaso has spent six month in his second coming after eight months in waiting, the challenges facing the state seem to be daunting. An observer of Kano politics, Alhaji Yusuf Inuwa summarized it this way, “the hopes are high and the challenges are staggering, the state is facing tremendous challenges of governance and infrastructural development”. Certainly what goes about in the state is not far from this assertion, considering the way the government is handling affairs of the state so far.
Immediately Kwankwaso stepped in, he began with the revocation of titles and demolishing of structures erected at? the? controversial Kofar Nai’sa plots allocated by his predecessor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau.? Also the governor demolished structures erected at Loko-Goma in Abuja, a development that is now subject of litigation. Then followed the controversy between him and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero over Hawan Sallah and the move to reverse most of the policies initiated by his predecessor that he felt are unpalatable with his new way of governance.? The list keeps filing up as the administration leaps into its four year tenure.?
Beside, there is a growing challenge of youth unemployment, lack of infrastructural development, poor maintenance of existing ones and a host of other associated social, economic and cultural challenges that are yearning for quick attention from the government.
From within the party and the group of loyalists that will help the governor form the government there are number of casualties. Before the honeymoon ends, the chairman of the state’s Primary Management Board, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu, an institution the new administration wished to start its transformation and make necessary impact, was surprisingly removed from office. No reason was given to that effect yet but rumors in town have it that the erstwhile seasoned administrator lost out in the power game for failing to meet up with the new way the governor set as a bench mark. Equally affected in the sudden fall is the Secretary of the state scholarship board, Alhaji Shehu Zimit and the Commissioner of Works, Engineer Bello Mohammed Kiru who was quietly removed from the state’s executive council to the state civil service commission as permanent commissioner.
Among the governor’s loyalists considered to be his favorites but lost out in the period are his special advisers on Religious Matters, Ali-Baba Mohammed Fagge, and that of Revenue Generation Matters, Alhaji Sani Lawan Kofar Mata. The duo are still in government but not so much is being heard of them any longer.? Apparently, the governor has turned his back against them for so long and are cooling their feet on the other side of the divide. Members of the other factions? believed to have helped the state governor realize his ambition of returning to office are also out of tune with the new administration. Members of Santsi and Tabo factions are now licking their lips in agony nursing the pain of being betrayed by the administration. Former Speaker of the state house of assembly, Alhaji Abdullahi Yusuf Falgore who still remains among Kwankwasiyya loyalists, [a group that is having the say in government] and believed to have occupied the seat as a result of governor’s influence equally lost out in the power equation following a “vote of no confidence” on him by his colleagues.? Falgore was said to have crushed due to his “blind following” of the governor as he was accused by his colleagues of becoming “a yes man” in managing the affairs of the house. “Instead of giving the house a direction to follow, he ended up serving the interest of the governor”, Falgore’s colleagues accused him. Indeed, each of these key political figures was no doubt a key player that have played crucial role in one way or the other in the emergence of the state governor during the last election but crushed within the first six month of his administration.
Also caught in the gale of fall outs are the retinue of Hisbah Staff. Some lost out through screening exercise introduced by the government while a section gave way because they cannot fit in the new administration’s style of governance. The last administration under Shekarau? introduced a policy where each civil servant is given a bonus to buy ram during Sallah festivities as well as buy grains during the month of Ramadan. The state civil servants who have started enjoying this gesture from the sate government any time there is Sallah festivities and fasting period have their hopes dashed. The policy which was passed into law and signed by the then governor was not suspended or amended yet its letters were kept aside by the present administration.
A score of youth and women from across the 44 local government areas have become darlings of the state government. Programs for their economic empowerment have been initiated by the government and are jointly funded in collaboration with a Kano-born philanthropist, a business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Some of the programs have already kicked off and both the youth and women have started enjoying the gesture.
Amidst all these development, a big challenge lies ahead of the governor. Kano state has been adjudged the most populous in the last head count. With over Fourteen Million people mostly youth, it is needless to say, the task before the governor is enormous. Hence, the government recent economic empowerment program which was started by the administration of the incumbent governor. So far, the programme has according to government provided succor to? over two hundred youth. They were given N150,000 each to start their businesses. Critics however believe government effort was like a drop in an ocean. There was similar gesture to over 44,000 women across the state who were selected to benefit from a N10,000 revolving loan.
While an army of youth who are not beneficiaries were reported to have taken to drug addiction. Going by what the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency {NDLEA} disclosed about the state recently, the state might be sitting on a keg of gun powder. Officials of the agency have expressed propound worries that most youth in the state are either taking drugs or are engaged in selling it.
Although there are no hard data on how prevalent consumption of such substance is, the fact of the matter is that NDLEA has come out clear to say that their consumption is in the increase in the state. At various community levels and within the circle of the state police, there has been growing concern, particularly with the clear signs that the use of harmful drugs among the youth is ticking up in the state. Most of the youth who engage in this practice have varying reasons for doing so. “I find myself taking Indian hemp and other form of hard drugs for a very long period of time and I can’t imagine how I can drop the habit. Thank God, I’m now out of it. Before whenever I smoked it, I can’t work, I can’t talk, my only worry is to sleep continuously”, Ango Mohammed who was lucky to have been rehabilitated by members of his community said. According to him, his situation was “like a prisoner, waking up every day in pains with a lot of burden on my mind”.? Some youth who lacked the resources to engage in buying the hard drugs resort to the use cough syrups or sniff petroleum products or solutions. Those who resorted to the use of cough syrups, take it in large quantity to enhance rather than get treatment from it. And the problem cut across class and background, with so many young people going into the habit with the hope of escaping from the social and economic problems. “I sniff and smoke Indian hemp because I want to avoid eating all the time. Any time I’m on drugs I don’t have to eat particularly as I do not have money to always feed”, an 18 year old drug addict told LEADERSHIP.
In this way of living, some commercial motor cycle riders are now in the habit of taking a local substance called “Gadagi”. Abdu Tanko who spoke with our LEADERSHIP admits that “I take “Gadagi” in the morning in order to have strength and work extra hours. Every morning I go to “Gadagi” seller and take a shot of it, it gives me strength and help me not to eat too much”.?
It seems the government which has been caught in the whirlwind of the social problem is rising to the challenges with an effort to restore those already trapped in the habit. A reformatory centre has been established in Kiru Local Government Area of the state and the government hopes to tackle the menace head on.
The youth themselves do hangout in various cyber cafés or in stadia whenever there is football match to watch.
They engage mostly in discussing English Premier Football League or any of the Sambas.? At times, whenever there is heated argument among followers of football groups’ violence do erupt and can result to injuries or even death.
Political observers are quick to say that while the government? seem to be up and doing, the challenge requires a lot of commitment. “A successful government needs to identify the aspirations of its people. It needs to know the interest of the people and follow the path of meeting them”, Yusuf Inuwa said. For him, the talent and the skills are there among the youth, what remains are measures that will articulate and put them in better use”.
Critics say the government has a lot in its hand to tackle in the next three and a half years to come but the greatest challenge lies in tackling the growing new mentality among the youth who take solace in either drugs taking or in playing or watching football or in other leisurely affairs.?