Bauchi: Significnace of Jonathan’s Visit

President Goodluck Jonathan last Saturday, paid a one-day working visit to Bauchi State, otherwise known as the “Pearl of Tourism and Hospitality’’ in Nigeria. The motto is on account of Bauchi being host to the country’s famous eco-tourism park-Yankari Game Reserve.

Jonathan’s inaugural visit to Bauchi as President and Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces is significant in many respects. Mr President was visiting Bauchi, the home state of Nigeria ’s first and only Prime Minister, late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, at a time the country is marking its 50th independence anniversary.

Bauchi State is also among the few states with governors that came to power through the popular will without recourse to civil litigation at a time Nigerians are desperate for credible, transparent, free and fair election.

The April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election in Bauchi State which brought Governor Isa Yuguda to power has been adjudged by the international community as one of the freest and transparent elections in the annals of the country’s history. This is in spite of the obvious flaws in the 2007 general elections.

Most probably, Jonathan’s visit to Bauchi State might afford the people an opportunity to express their appreciation to Mr President for appointing two of their illustrious sons into key cabinet positions in his administration.

Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and Sen. Bala Mohammed, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) respectively are both from the state.

While in the state, President Jonathan is expected to inaugurate a Human Development Centre, Model Primary School and the Bauchi Furniture Company.

However, notwithstanding the more than N22 billion debt inherited from its predecessor, the Yuguda administration says it has so far executed more than 200 people-oriented projects across the 20 local government areas of the state in the last three years.

Available records show that the state has some of the best public primary schools in the northern part of the country in terms of structures and facilities.

UNDP records also show that the state is one of the privileged few in Nigeria , where villages and hamlets are provided with electricity through the national grid.

Driven by the desire to meet the yearnings of the populace, the administration on assumption of office in 2007, rolled out a five-point agenda with which it hoped to further transform the state.

With unemployment as one of its major challenges, the administration established an agency for the rehabilitation of unemployed youths and women.

The agency known as the Bauchi State Agency for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development (BAYWARD), is charged with the responsibility of providing unemployed youths and women with skills.

It is also expected to rehabilitate school dropouts and secure university placements for eligible indigenes.

The administration declared a state of emergency in the health and education sectors with an executive order that 13 of the most dilapidated boarding secondary schools be immediately reconstructed and equipped.

Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the state governor, says a total of 54 schools have been provided with boreholes while 23 other schools are to enjoy similar facilities soon.

The administration has also distributed more than six million textbooks free to all public schools.

“Government made education a priority and ensured adequate budgetary allocation for it; the sector received N11.6 billion in 2008, as against N2.6 billion in 2007,’’ says Muhammad.

The effort toward a better educational system has also been extended to the teachers as new saloon cars were recently given to each of them on loan.

“The idea is to boost their morale and keep the best brains at home,’’ the governor’s aide said.

Records also show that the administration has spent N1.2 billion to pay bursary allowances to its students in tertiary institutions.

In 2008, the state government announced a 100 per cent upward review of scholarship funds to help students give their maximum and make the state proud.

Records show that the government spends an average of N160 million annually on the sponsorship of 21 students studying aircraft maintenance engineering in the United States of America.

The records also show that 38 qualified students have been sent to Egypt to train as medical doctors as part of the administration’s human resource development programme.

The government has also constructed many roads, but the most popular ones appear to be three major (rural) roads – the 65-km Azare-Isawa – Giade, the 88-km Alkaleri-Futuk, and the 113-km Ningi-Burra roads.

These roads have opened up many villages hitherto cut off from the rest of the world because of their terrible condition.

To further help the rural areas, the state government, in collaboration with the MDGs office, has drilled 300 solar-powered and motorised boreholes at the cost of N1.2 billion.

And to accelerate the industrial development of the state, the state government in partnership with a Chinese firm is constructing an Independent Power Plant (IPP) with the capacity to generate 39mw of electricity.

Investigations by our correspondent show that the government has also embarked on rehabilitation of all dilapidated hospital structures in addition to the completion of new ones.

To boost manpower in the health sector, more than 2,030 health professionals, including 30 Egyptian doctors have been recruited to enhance effective healthcare delivery system.

Further on health, the administration has inaugurated a Kidney Centre equipped with about 12 Dialysis machines.

The administration is also worried about how to manage the large number of unemployed youths and women who actively participated in the ‘’political revolution’’ that brought it to power.

The emergence of a killer-youth group known as “Sara-Suka’’ in the state worried the government, especially after a survey indicated that such notoriety were caused by large-scale unemployment.

Records indicate that more than 4,000 of such youths and women have so far been rehabilitated through the various skills acquisition programmes introduced by the administration.

On poverty alleviation, more than N17 billion was spent by the government on human development programmes.

Records show that between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of the state’s 2010 annual budget has been dedicated to poverty eradication.

In 2008, the state budgeted N98 billion out of which more than N9.8 billion was spent on the poverty alleviation programme.

In 2009, the budget was N78.6 billion out of which more than N7.8 went into poverty alleviation, youth and women empowerment programmes,.

On security, the administration says it has reduced crime in the state to the barest minimum.

“The fear that pervaded the state has been wiped out. “Our citizens can now sleep with their two eyes closed and be able to carry out their legitimate businesses safely and freely.

“It is in recognition of the peaceful nature of the state that the World Bank, adjudged Bauchi, as the most investment and business friendly state in Nigeria ,’’ says Governor Yuguda.

To guarantee transparency in handling the affairs of the state, the administration says it has saved more than N1.8 billion from strict observance of due process in the award of contracts.

The state is the first to domesticate the Physical Responsibility Act and had set up Due Process offices in all the ministries, agencies and local government areas.

“The state government is also one of the first states in the federation to promulgate and domesticate the Fiscal Responsibility Act”.

“Through the Act and services of the due process unit, the government was able to save more than N1.8 billion. `This explains why the executive, legislature and judiciary in Bauchi State see each other as partners in progress”.

“This is because of the belief that the three arms constitute the tripod on which the system stands,’’ says an official.

All said, observers of development in the state are hopeful that the visit of Mr President to Bauchi would boost the capacity of the state government to provide more dividend of democracy to the people.

Adamu writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Sani Adamu