Ganduje’s Two Years Of Visionary Leadership

Kano State recently became 50 years and, in the same vein, the state administration under Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje clocked two years on May 29, 2017. SALISU IBRAHIM reports that Kano whose population is estimated to be over 15 million and blessed with abundant natural and human resources has fared well under the visionary leadership of Ganduje

As an emerging economy, transformation of the state’s abundant natural and human resources has been the immediate priority of the present and past state’s Administrations. While the goal of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration is hinged on having a united, peaceful and productive people in a prosperous state that offers the people various opportunities to utilize their talents, the state government has also distinguished itself for being one of the administrations that believe in continuity of governance and rule of law.
Two years into the four-year tenure of the administration, Ganduje has explored and exploited every economic potential, with the state redefining and re-integrating the State’s Economic Development Process.
In line with the vision of the Ganduje administration, before the year 2030, a new generation of entrepreneurs/inventors, would have emerged making the state to become one of the leading vibrant economies in the country. This hope is hinged on the policies and plans of having a good future for the youth and women which aims at rekindling the quality of good leadership, institutional development, fiscal reforms, resource mobilization and public expenditure.
Evidently, there is no activity that has no economic implications, hence, economic empowerment, towards having synergy with other relevant stakeholders to achieve the goal of attaining a prosperous state economically was identified, recognised and appreciated by the administration. The Ganduje administration has taken the bull by the horn through the enactment of public policies and also engaged in public reorientation to redefining and reintegrating the state economic development process.
So far, the administration has set up a process that will come up with new generation of entrepreneurs, reinvent the state as a distinguished “commercial centre” and scale up the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through taxation and enhanced economic activities. Meanwhile, the administration has consciously designed measures that are set to transform the economy into a knowledge-based economy.

Issues And Challenges
Since the purpose of any government is primarily to deliver services for the enhancement and preservation of the standard of living of its people, the Ganduje government has put enormous resources in the execution of various economic empowerment projects, efficient management, and good public administration, in order to sustain the tempo and nurture the results for positive development.
The Administration is gradually addressing the problems of hunger, disease, ignorance, idleness and destitution, which are obviously the consequences of poverty and illiteracy in the state. Already, the menace of almajiris has become so endemic, requiring concerted effort to address the problem and when the administration address the twin problems of poverty and illiteracy, the state is set to avoid further slide into misery, disease, and illiteracy, thereby turning around people into productive assets, by creating capacity that is constantly replenished and upgraded through learning, research and development.
In Kano State, eradication of existing negative values that promotes dependency, poor enterprise spirit, paucity of creativity and idleness, should be given adequate priority and support in a bid to establish structures that support Waste-to-Wealth Initiatives. In this wise, collaboration with NGOs, CBOs, and CSOs is imperative in order to create wealth and job opportunities for youth and women that can tap from available solid minerals; national programmes on economic empowerment and job creations, as well as skills development.
In the two year administration of Ganduje, the process of good governance, implementation of credible and realistic projects such as the Katsina-Kurna Road Underpass, the extension of Sheikh Jaafar Road, the Gaida Underpass and the completion of the Giginyu General Hospital which was initiated by the past administration of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau are some of the projects that make the Ganduje administration to stand tall and have a sense of pride.

What People Say About Ganduje’s Govt @2
Ibrahim Kumbotso: I appreciate the government’s ability to create opportunities for talented citizens to realize their potentials and its promotion of investment friendly policies. What remains now, is how the administration would create an enabling environment towards reviving most of the ailing industries in the state. Kano state was known for its abundant manufacturing companies and revving them would further boost the development of the state.
Kabiru Umar Dambatta: The ability of the administration to create an effective collaborative strategy and network with other relevant stakeholders to match the production of required manpower for the state has attracted my attention. I hope government would continue to empower youth and women to access from the Federal Government empowerment programmes in order to ensure sustainable livelihood. I’m particularly happy that the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who has so far done well in terms of infrastructural development.
Halima Shanono: The State, like the country at large is experiencing dwindling resources but that has not prevented the state government from performing wonderfully well in terms of meeting the goals set out to be achieved by APC. Governor Ganduje’s performance is so fascinating; particularly in the government’s ability to raise the states internally generated revenue. With this feat the state government was able to provide services to the people, pay workers’ salaries as and when due and initiate various developmental projects. The good thing is that while so many states cannot afford to pay workers’ salaries, or they either resort to paying half salary to their workers, or at worst record a backlog of unpaid workers’ salaries for many months, Kano State under Governor Ganduje is among the few states in the country that is up and doing well. No pensioner or worker can complain of unpaid allowances or salaries.
Habibu Mohammed Tudun Wada: The governor’s tight fiscal policies and introduction of new measures, as well as the recruitment of young tax officers to prop up internally generated revenue collection is what give me joy in the two year administration. No government can succeed without resources, hence, the new measure introduced by the government to ensure prudence, accountability and tackle corruption, caution in expenditure and management of the scarce resources under Governor Ganduje, has made the performance of the state administration wonderful.
The governor has equally stood out because of his resolve to carry on with the ongoing projects started but not completed by the previous administrations. Some of these are the Gadon Kaya underpass, the longest Murtala Mohammed overhead bridges, among host of others. Similarly, the perceived shift in educational policy is of course an issue to do with strategy. It has to do with the perspective of the new administration which is gears towards goal realization and prompt result.
I’m particularly delighted that none of the good works started by the previous administrations was abandoned or jettisoned. You can see that even projects started by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, like the multi=billion naira Giginyu Specialist Hospital and the Pediatric Specialist Hospital on Zoo Road were among the ones receiving prompt attention from the present administration. This indeed is a good development for the state.
Aminu Isa Bakin Wapa: The most important thing to know is that, the success of a state largely depends on its leadership, with a leader that is resolute, determined and easy going. Ganduje is a leader who has secured his people and refrained from blaming previous administrations of past lapses. We need a leader who will fight corruption. We need a leader with vision, character and courage who can think the impossible for the state and go ahead to achieve it. We have all of these in Governor Ganduje, and that is the beauty of his two years in office.