Tag: needs

It is no gainsaying that Nigeria is in need of a true transformation. There is the need for overhaul of our various systems from education to the economy and infrastructure. The change we need in Nigeria is beyond sweet-talk and abstract slogans; it is genuine transformation that would be evidenced in results. Action is urgently needed to reinvigorate various sectors of our socio-economic life; from education to health and infrastructure. For anyone, like me, who has been to Kano in recent past or has keenly observed what is happening there, it is only natural to jump at the suggestion of having what I would call the Kano model reflected in the country at large.

The Kano model is my coinage to sum up the wholesome revolutionary undertakings of the present administration of Kano State under Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. At a time of sloppy governance characterised by cronyism and acute corruption, Kwankwaso comes along as unbeatable patriot for whom leadership is about service. First, his government set a nationwide record by abolishing the easiest and “justified” way of siphoning public treasury by the name, “Security Vote”. He instituted another measure of public integrity by conducting government business in the open. Minutes of the weekly state executive council meeting are published in the newspapers for the people of the state to have an idea of how their money is being spent. Kwankwaso also showed great capacity in creativity in terms of internally generated revenue (IGR). Within the last four years, the state government is said to have jerked up its revenue base from the meagre N400 million to almost N2 billion!

Since it is said that the congregational prayer is as good as the priest that leads it, having set a personal record of eschewing underhand dealings, Kwankwaso blocked revenue leakages and exorcised the civil service of all ghost workers following months of difficult but worthwhile verification exercise. It is a little wonder therefore that the governor announced crossing over to the 2013 fiscal year with a whopping N20 billion as backlog cash in the government’s kitty.

It is for this that the government was able to judiciously utilise what is for the people for their own good. And the monies were expended on meaningful and critical projects that now place Kano at par or even ahead of its contemporaries in the country. The major thrusts of the Kwankwaso years in Kano could be summed up in two broad categories; expanding the manpower base and bridging the infrastructural deficit.

In harnessing Kano’s manpower strength, the state government has sent over 2,000 students for higher degrees in foreign universities. Some of the sponsored students are undergoing specialised training as pilots, marine engineers, pharmacists, etc. Governor Kwankwaso insured their studies by paying for all the tuition fees and upkeep allowances for the duration of their studies upfront, to avoid any disruption.

In the home front, the governor has set a record of establishing two universities having established North-West University in 2012 in addition to the Kano State University of Science and Technology established during his first term (1999 – 2003). In addition to this, Kwankwaso constructed thousands of wonderfully designed blocks of classrooms dubbed Kwankwasiyya; itself an ideology springing up out of the governor’s demonstrated patriotism a la Awoism and Zikisim. The classrooms, which are also tastefully furnished using modern building mechanisms, dot the roads and alleys of Kano from entry points to the remotest part of the state. Thousands of teachers were also recruited to cater for the growing enrolment figures.

Kano, all of a sudden, is like a new capital city being built from the scratch. It is turning into an Abuja of sort – or even something higher – with the level of ambitious projects all around. While in other places construction works are largely concentrated on roads, in Kano it is across all infrastructural needs. A three simultaneous mass housing project is targeting to provide 3200 housing units at Amana, Kwankwasiyya and Bandirawo, modern cities that are all fitted with social amenities, including roads and schools.

Three fly-over bridges are currently in various states of completion. The objective of the ambitious fly-over projects was not only about beautification of the city centre but also to ameliorate the grueling traffic jam that is often times characteristic of the city, and a hindrance to its commercial activities. The fact that Kano is virtually turned into a vast construction site earned the governor the sobriquet Audu Bako of the modern age – for the beginners, Commissioner of Police Audu Bako was the first administrator of Kano State who set a very good footing for the state’s progress.

Only the other day, I read of the advanced level of work at the sites of twin independent hydroelectric power projects being spearheaded by the state government. Making power available for the numerous industries in the state would not only revive the dying manufacturing industry, but will also boost the government’s employment drive as evidenced by the 21 vocational institutes set up across the state.

With the beautiful stories coming out of Kano State, stories of lofty accomplishments in an exemplary prudent manner, one is tempted to wish for such a person to replicate these beautiful ideas for all of us, Nigerians.  Nigeria will better for it if we can have a visionary and hard working man with integrity at helm of affairs. Should APC have Kwankwaso as their candidate, my vote will be theirs.

• Balogun writes from Wuse Zone 2, Abuja

Ahead of the Rivers State gubernatorial contest, there is a wild and orchestrated projection among pundits and observers alike on the probable outcome, with all eyes fixated on who becomes the flag bearers of  the two dominant parties: the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. It is a major decision soon to be undertaken by the leadership of the parties via their primaries.

As expected, the political field is littered with potentials running for the exalted position across party lines, signaling the fact that the stakes are pretty high. Irrespective of the evaluations as we have so far seen in the strategic positioning of the aspirants, one thing that is obvious is the quality or otherwise of those who have indicated interest in the coveted job as they can be marked up by their respective proposals for renewal and indeed their leadership record and integrity.

Interestingly, everyone in the race agrees to the need for change—a change that can really affect the course of governance to connect with the historical greatness of the state as envisioned and built by the founding fathers. It is in this consciousness that many are beginning to situate the aspiration of Major Lancelot Anyanya (rtd) of the Peoples Democratic Party whose political activities are galvanizing a moral crusade for a rebirth. On most counts, analysts are unanimous, that Anyanya’s aspiration is founded on the public good and going by such altruistic fundamentals as being disseminated by the intellectual wing of his campaign organisation, The Rivers State Renaissance Project, it is too true that the man is imbued with a huge sense of service.

Then, what to do to return Rivers State to a new era of true greatness? This is an important question which Anyanya has responded to via The Renaissance Project in what he characterized as the “Creed of Greatness” and “Call to Societal Greatness”. In both dimensions, he harped on the fact that the greatest societies are those who gave the greatest opportunities to the greatest number of people to attain greatness just as the emphasized the need for grand vision, great management of resources and great leadership, thereby re-inventing the capacity and willingness to reach within inner seed of greatness and renew society.

The fundamentals he’s talking about here are what constitute the critical yearnings today in the state, requiring a quick connect with the immortal postulation of John F. Kennedy that, “we need leaders of inspired idealism, leaders to whom are granted great vision, who dream greatly and strive to make their dreams come true, who can kindle the people with the fire from their own burning souls”.

This is exactly what the man from Ataba, a clan of the Ijaw ethnic group in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State personifies, going by his leadership record and convictions on the sanctity of selfless service, the grand vision, integrity and the courage to stay the course.

Of course, his burning zeal and bold dreams are too noticeable for all who might have seen his “Renaissance Manifesto”, a 20-page document detailing the Action Plan for a NEW Rivers State. For strategic and substantive purposes, the whole manifesto has a generic code: Security Vision. The idea being that there is the urgent need for a total security in all facets of development in the state, and in the process ensuring the future greatness and happiness of the people. Thus we have topics like Homeland security, education security, food security, health security, economic security, infrastructure security, socio-political security and environment security. In each of these major areas are carefully and painstakingly thought-out policies and deliverables within the short, medium and long terms. A careful reading clearly speaks to the depth of knowledge of the issues, realism and freshness of thoughts in confronting contemporary challenges in the state.

Sitting down with him to feel his pulse and convictions on the race, Anyanya comes away as a consummate intellectual who sees a correlation between the impact of his long years in public service and his preparation for higher purpose. He is concerned about the drive for greater relevance of Rivers State in the scheme of things, noting the vast economic infrastructure in the state but which he felt has yet to maximize its potentials, particularly in tackling poverty amidst plenty,  a salient factor he considered should also define the kind of leadership the state should have. He reckons with the notion of attitudinal change in our politics to raise the bar of discourse, identifying the issues of development and proffering practical and workable solutions. This comes against the grain of such combative politics of identity witnessed in the state in recent times and the need to fashion out a moderating view based on politics of substance.

In all of this, Anyanya has identified his abiding faith in God and will of the people as the cornerstone of his aspiration, taking his case for a new era of true greatness to them and explaining the imperative for regeneration of Rivers State and indeed making a difference. The essentials here are what he encapsulated in a philosophy of governance which pursues the ideals of a democratic society in which the role of government would be to create public value and enhance citizen satisfaction by way of an enabling environment of equal opportunity, inclusiveness and the rule of law. Consequently, we can have a new society of new set of values that reduces inequality, re-inventing the ladder of social progress which can realistically assist those whose opportunities had lagged behind. Critical in this new arrangement as Anyanya posited would also be a clean and efficient government, truly serving the common good.

Of course, it is worth emphasizing here his call for the people to intervene in their own development agenda and that of their future generations by getting really involved as discerning agents of change without recourse to unbridled partisanship in political affiliation or the debilitating hate politics but constructively seeking the right kind of leaders who can be trusted to hold their mandate in trust. Thus the people must as a necessity articulate their own development convictions (paradigm shift) and demand renewal in leadership attitude, beliefs and prowess to change their well-being for the better. It is in their enlightened best interest to be so involved in the development process as a democratic right and thereby regenerating the state. As Claude Ake remarkably posited, “development is the process by which people create and recreate themselves and their life circumstances to realize higher levels of civilization in accordance with their own choices and values”. These are critical considerations in the present situation in Rivers State, calling for sober retrospection on the choices available and the courage to choose a path of political and economic redemption.

Coming from a multi-disciplinary background, Anyanya’s antecedents arguably fit the bill of the anticipated modern era, combining his meritorious public service experience with his incisive private sector knowledge as a respected entrepreneur. Seen as a great  thinker and strategist, his exceptional performances at different levels of leadership over the years actually find expression in rich academic and professional life, not just as the prize winner as the best graduating cadet in his class at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), but has also distinguished himself at different times in the graduate schools: International Law and Diplomacy, University of Lagos, International Security at the Galilee International Management Institute in Israel, and of course he is a worthy alumnus of the prestigious Kennedy School of Government (KSG). His recent engagement as the chairman of the governing board of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has so far underscored his leadership acumen in effecting an enduring positive change. And as he has repeatedly said, greatness is coming to Rivers State by rebirthing the fundmentals of human security to engender development.

• Olutomiwa, wrote from Lagos.