Kebbi stands to get counted under Bagudu
A lot of pundits look and perceive development to mean building sky scrapers, bridges and other structures forgetting a critical aspect of capacity development. Efforts have been put in the area of human development.
Although it will be almost impossible to capture the multitude of the glaring giant strides recorded by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu in this analytical discourse, it goes without saying that the governors achievements are indeed as tangible, as timely, relevant and efficacious in further uplifting the Land of Equity to greater heights.
The simple, charismatic and hardworking Governor, prefers to interact and discuss with the electorate at the grass root thus demystifying the office of the Executive Governor to that of a servant of the people.
His all-inclusive style of leadership has downplayed the traditional rivalry between the four emirates of the state and provided a common pedestal for all sons and daughters of the state, irrespective of party affiliation, to discuss the common interest of the state. Whoever is who in Kebbi State identifies with the government.
Most glowing of all his attributes is that, unlike most governors who would site projects just to please kith and kin, he chose to site the WACOT Rice Mill in Argungu and GAFARA Tomato factory at Wara, Ngaski local government, instead of Birnin Kebbi, his native place.
Agriculture
There is no doubt that Bagudus re-election for a historic and momentous second term by the people of the state is a clear indication and testimony to the ceaseless and invaluable love people of Kebbi State have for him in view of his tireless efforts to move the state forward in all spheres of human endeavour. Kebbi has remained the unbeatable pace-setter and trail-blazer in agriculture, especially rice production with the attendant multiplier effects for the citizens, as well as the economy of the state and that of Nigeria in general.
It is no doubt that governor Bagudus giant achievements in agriculture, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Anchor Borrowers Programme geared towards improving rice production. Although, the N15billion scheme is owned and financed by the Federal Government as part of President Buharis economic diversification agenda, to make Nigeria sustainably self-sufficient in food production, especially bolstering the rice value chain.
The Anchor Borrowers Loan Programme (ABP), under the CBN, is a loan scheme to boost rice production that targeted 70,000 farmers. The scheme which had received the total backing of the governor, even though t is a Federal Government scheme, has greatly assisted President Muhammadu Buharis diversification agenda, to reduce over-dependence on oil, as well as assisted the country in overcoming the hitherto economic recession and the stoppage of rice importation into the country.
The scheme which was launched and flagged off by Buhari in November 2015, in Kebbi, had achieved tremendous successes, with the political support of governor Bagudu. Bagudus administration supported the programme by also providing logistics support to the Anchor Borrower’s Programme committee to go out to all the 21 LGAs, to capture the bio-data of all genuine benefiting farmers, in order to ensure that, the only genuine small-holder farmers got the loan.
The Anchor Borrowers Programme so revolutionised rice farming in Kebbi that, within one and a-half year of its launch, Kebbi recorded the production of almost 2 million tonnes of rice.
Between 2016 and 2017, most of the pilgrims that registered to travel on holy pilgrimage to Mecca were farmers who got their money through the rice cultivation. The story did not also end here as many Kebbi farmers became instant, jubilant millionaires. The state also witnessed the influx of both foreign and local investors. Rice processors established rice mills, both big and small. Modern rice mills like Labana and Wacot established their bases in Birnin Kebbi and Argungu, respectively. Other mini ones abound in different parts of the state, such as the one in Lolo, Kamba, in Dandi local Government Area, Jega and Bunza, among others. It is on record that Oxfam, an international non-governmental organization came out to openly commend Kebbi State Government for allocating 10% of its budgetary allocation to agriculture, for over two years in a row. In 2016, N12.6 billion was allocated to agriculture and in 2017, a whopping N14 billion was further injected into the agricultural sector by Bagudu’s government.
Education
When he came in as governor in 2015, he met the education sector in shambles. It had severally suffered serious neglect by past regimes in the state. However, the governors change mantra extended its olive branch to the sector. The story is now a happy one.
Massive renovation and reconstruction of new and existing primary, secondary and tertiary institutions across the state followed. It was no surprise; in his Inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, he decried the educational sector of the state; over-stretched schools without qualified teachers and structural infrastructure like classes, toilets and dormitories are in ruins over the years.
To demonstrate his determination to overhaul the educational sector in the state, education received the highest allocation, N5billion, in his maiden budget, for the renovation of both primary and secondary schools in the state, including setting aside additional funds for the purchase of assorted learning materials in that same year to 2016.
After obtaining the data from schools and physical inspection of facilities, the governor set the ball rolling in the educational sector by embarking on massive public schools rehabilitation worth billions of naira, with the aim of improving and changing the educational sector, as well as making schools conducive for learning.
Bagudus administration awarded a contract for the renovation of 25 secondary schools in six LGAs Argungu, Birnin Kebbi, Bunza, Jega, Yauri and Zuru across the state.
To further enhance teaching and learning in 2019, Bagudu also approved the recruitment of 3000 teachers for schools across the state, while girls’ secondary schools across the state from each of the 4 senatorial zones were provided with new busses to facilitate their movement, to take part in sports and extracurricular activities, within and outside the state.
Health
Under healthcare delivery, the administration of Bagudu has prepared a road-map for achieving and delivering healthcare to citizens of the state, as well as to bring all health care sections under one roof, by providing an enabling law through the State House of Assembly. A series of medical outreaches were successfully conducted in the state, in collaboration with Moses Lake Medical Foundation, USA, with surgeries, medication and feeding of patients all provided free of charge to thousands of patients in Kebbi and neighbouring states. Also, primary health care centres (PHCs) have been rehabilitated across the 225 wards in the state.
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu was in Takalau and several other rural areas to commission the renovated primary healthcare centres. In an effort to increase the manpower of the health sector and improve their working conditions, Bagudu approved employment of health personnel, especially doctors, pharmacists, nurses/midwives and other lower cadre staff such as cleaners, drivers and security personnel.
Also, the current administration in the state strengthened the free drugs programme for pregnant women and children under the age of 5 years, as well as routine immunisation which led to the successful eradication of the wild polio virus in the state.
Upon the lockdown occasioned by the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), Bagudu swiftly swung into action by taking plausible measures to contain the disease in the state, including setting up a taskforce to control the spread of the disease and provide medication to patients. The governor doled out mouth-watering allowances to the Frontline medical health workers and members of the Task force. Isolation centre and ICU were set up in Kebbi Medical Centre, Kalgo and Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi, with adequate beds and ventilators. This is in addition to the massive awareness campaign on Covid -19 specific to personal and environmental hygiene carried out for women groups and associations across the state.
Investments
Investment and infrastructural development are two areas the administration of Bagudu accorded priority with a lot of successes recorded. Government policies and programmes in the agricultural sector, especially the success recorded in the Anchor Borrower’s Programme, triggered the establishment of private rice mills; hence, big, medium and small rice mills sprang across the state Labana Rice mills in Birnin Kebbi, Dangote Rice Mills at Shanga and Wacot in Argungu are glaring examples of big modern rice mills established in the state. Others are located in Lolo, Dandi, Bunza, Jega, Suru, Yauri local government areas and even within Birnin Kebbi metropolis.
The establishment of such private ventures has no doubt led to employment of thousands of youths and even women in the agricultural sector.
Prominent investors like Dangote and other companies, as well as international organizations like United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the strategic partnership between the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and the Kebbi State Government for $10million enterprise investments cooperation were all geared towards industrialisation and opening up more opportunities for investments in the state. The joint memorandum of understanding to promote enterprise development of producer cooperatives in the state had since become effective. Both parties have agreed to support agricultural producers and enterprises in the state, ranging from provision of funds, equipment and capacity-building, with each providing $5million.
In addition, a major cassava-based Ethanol Programme has been undertaken by Professor M.A Kaoje, in partnership with NNPC, shall lead to ethanol production in Zuru Emirate. This project promises to churn out a whooping N388 billion revenue when finalised.
The tomato factory at Gafara in Warra, Ngaski local government area of the state, has reached an advanced stage. All these developments were sequel to the conducive business environment provided by government, such as tax waiver or reduction, free land allocation, access roads and other incentives necessary for the establishment of any company.
Infrastructural Development
The government has also executed various projects that includes construction of bridges, culverts and erosion control across the state. The completed bridge on the Suru-Giro, Kaoje-Illo and the Shema-Bakoshi roads that allows for free vehicular movement, business and other developments that strive in the areas are some of these projects.
Others are the 2.0-kilometer completed erosion control project in Bunza, the completed Kwanar Dabai- Zuru Township Road, as well as the completed Maga-Ribah Road and another 56.8-kilometer Ribah-Bena Road project.
Bagudu’s administration has embarked on the rehabilitation of several other township road across the state, including the Sultan Abubakar Road which runs from First-Bank to Rima round about through the Government House, and the First Bank Ring Road to Sir Yahaya Ring Road, as well as Ahmadu Bello Way which have been completed with effective drainage system. Others are the completed access road around Mechanic Village, Birnin-Kebbi; the completed 31km Jega Township, the rehabilitation of the Koko Township, as well as the Tudun Wada Zuru and Birnin-Kebbi Road.
The abandoned Sabiyel-Kashinzama road inherited from the previous administration has been completed, as well.
To curtail the perennial flooding in some areas of the state capital Birnin Kebbi, the government expanded the Rafin Barau outfall, one of the major drainages in Birnin-Kebbi metropolis, to allow for free-flow of water down to the Fadama area. Work on the Badariya-Kola Zuguru Road which was awarded to the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers on direct labour is almost done with.
Construction of access roads at the Adamu Aliero Housing Estate has been completed, as well as work on the six access roads at Gwadangaji Quarters in the state capital. People affected by the various infrastructural projects, at Bayan Kara, Makerar Gandu, Tudun Wada in Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Zauro, Jega, Argungu, Unguwar Nakalgo and Yauri were adequately compensated.
To encourage land and housing ownership, the present administration has allocated 10 hectares of land in Gwadangaji to the Federal Government for its Mass Housing Project. So far, over 140 applications have been processed for the grant of Statutory Rights of Occupancy, 20 applications for consent for Mortgages and 88 certificates of occupancy processed.
Government has already secured land for new projects such as New Government House, Deputy Governors House, House of Assembly Quarters, Stadium, Amusement Park, Solar Plants Site and housing Project site.
To give the state capital a face-lift, government has rehabilitated existing and installed new double arm streetlights on major roads such as Murtala Muhammed, Emir Haruna and Gwadangaji, as well as embarked on maintenance of drainages and de-silting of culverts in Birnin Kebbi, Yauri and Zuru.
The importance of potable water cannot be overemphasised, especially considering the adverse effect of unsafe water on the health of the people.
In realisation of the importance of potable drinking water to the generality of the urban and rural populace, the administration of Governor Bagudu embarked on the expansion and renovation of broken down water supply schemes in various parts of the state. These include motorised, solar-operated boreholes, as well as hand pumps and the procurement of water treatment chemicals for the supply of clean and healthy water to Birnin Kebbi, Zuru, Argungu and Yauri.
Electricity
The Rural Electricity Board has expended huge sums of money on the repair of high tension lines, the connection of Equity FM Radio and other communities to the national grid. These include improvement of electricity supply to Gwandu town, supply of electricity to the Adamu Augie College of Education Argungu, supply of 30 units of assorted transformers in the first phase and 40 supplied in the second phase. The 500KVA capacity of the new transformers have been installed at Hajiya Turai YarAdua General Hospital Zauro/Ambursa, Haliru Abdu Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi and two others to service Jega town.
Other areas that received the transformers are Gamji Gulumbe, Birnin Kebbi local government, Zara Birni, Gumbin Kure, Kuberi, Giwa-Tazo, Kalgo as well as in Nakengan and Kwali-Kwali in Dandi local government.
They were also installed at Gwabaren Kasawa and Alwasa in Argungu local government, General Hospital Bagudo, Jabaka town and Gudale in Augie local government area, Nasara, Jiga Birni and Gumbin Dari in Aliero local government as well as Arewa local government secretariat, Kangiwa.
Similarly, the transformers were installed at Gandun Kaya at Illelar Yari Birnin Kebbi, Adamu Aliero Estate Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State House of Assembly Complex, Bayan Tasha Model Primary School Birnin Kebbi, behind Prison Club Birnin Kebbi, Tambuwal Quarters Gesse Phase I Birnin Kebbi, Ministry of Higher Education and Secretariat Birnin Kebbi, as well as in Kainji sub-station and Yauri Water Works in Yauri local government. In addition, 300 KVA transformers would be installed in Jaffeji town and Hodi Model Primary School in Arewa Local Government. Bamungade, Unguwar Zaku/Unguwar Gujiya in Argungu Local Government, Amare town and Ganga re in Kalgo local government and also at Kebbi Radio station.
Tourism Development
For over 10 years, the Argungu International Fishing Festival, known world-wide for its fascinating fishing and cultural festival had been inactive. The festival could not hold largely due to security concerns. However, with improved security and huge financial resources released by the state administration, the festival took place successfully with the nations political class well represented.
The state government spent millions of naira to rehabilitate and reconstruct major infrastructure in Argungu roads, hotels, the fishing village, street lights and other facilities in the town.
The Yauri Emirate Rigata Festival was also revived with the active financial backing of the Bagudu-led government.
The Uhola festival of Zuru Emirate and the Hutungo Fulani festival in Gwandu Emirate have all been supported by government to ensure their sustainability and to boost the tourism sector of the state.
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