Adamawa State has been one of the few States in Nigeria to withness poor governance after the return of democracy from 1999 to 2015, but the State has withnessed tremendous progress and development in every sector since the coming of Senator Muhammad Umar Jibrilla Bindow as governor in May, 2015.
Physical and human development were his first priorities. He immediately embarked on reconstruction and renovation of decayed infrastructure such as dilapidated roads, hospitals and schools. In his quest to deliver strategic and innovative governance.
Born into a big and popular business family, Bindow grew up with huge affluence, but he was nurtured to be humble, honest, disciplined and generous by his Late father, Alhaji Umar Jibrilla of blessed memory, who himself had left progressive legacies for the people of Adamawa State.
A young Bindow carved an niche for himself in the international business world at a very early age. Making him one of the very few administrators to successfully blend politics and business over a period of two decades.
Bindow began his political career as a supporter of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as one of the key actors of the party in the State. It was his commitment and vision that neccessitated a call from the people to him for a contest in the Adamawa North senatorial election.
He contested and won the senatorial seat, and having served his people with honour, dignity and selfless dedication. It was easy for them to make him their gubernatorial choice at the 2015 general elections, defeating one of Adamawa’s most popular sons in Nuhu Ribadu.
When Bindow came on board as the governor of the State in 2015, he virtually met a broken State having undergone transitional and counter transitional governments within the shortest period of time. Seven governors over a period of seven years to be precise.
As an epitome of the selfless leadership that Bindow is – honest, reasonable, and possessed of both physical and moral courage. He did carry his state forward by recognising the problems inherent in that transition and solving them.
In a little over 18 months, Bindow carried out assessment of agro-service centres to prepare bills of quantity for the purpose of rehabilitation. Provided supply of genuine agrochemicals to Adamawa farmers and commenced development of sustainable private sector-led agricultural mechanisation intiative.
The people’s governor rehabilitated 33kv ITC line to about 4 Local Government Areas (LGAs) which include Furore and Karla, procured and installed over 350 units of solar powered street lights and provided electrification for over 6 LGAs.
Bindow has renovated almost all the hospital affected by the insurgency in the State, developed a strategic health plan for the state from 2016-2020 and had a 97% coverage in the last national immunization day for measles.
This visionary leader purchased a 100kva generating plant for Adamawa broadcasting corporation, new studio equipments at base station (ATV), provided new transformer and reconnected to the national grid and conducted an ICT workshop for information officers as well as empowerment for them all.
Bindow’s live touching governance in the education sector resulted in recruitment of 71 IDP teachers, transfer of 677 IDP students to 43 FUCs, relaunch of back to school enrolment, land donation to Rochas Foundation and installation of container classrooms at many primary schools in the State.
He also upgraded the Adamawa Sunshine terminus, recruited over 100 VIO officers and provided patrol vehicles for them, established the Adamawa Road Transport and Traffic Agency (ARTTA) and most importantly amended the Adamawa Transport Board edict.
There is an ongoing construction of housing estate along Yola-Mubi road, established forest nurseries at Michika, Mubi, Yola, Ganye and Guyuk, distributed of modern fishing equipments to registered farmers and curtailed flood and erosion problems.
Bindow has the most number of road constructions from May 2015 to date in Nigeria, which include; Mubi one primary school road, water board road, zaria road, GRA roundabout road, wuro-bulude road, keystone bank road, Kolere road, Wuro-Patuji road, Kwacha road, Tike road, Mubi-digil riad, sabon layi and link road and wuro gude brigade road to name a few.
Bindow’s administration has resumed the construction of Yola International Hotel, the twin art theatres have been given an excellent facelift and the tourism ministry has set up machinery to enlist all cultural festivals in the State.
In his first 100 days in office, Bindow rehabilitated all the abandoned orphanages in the State, donated MAMA KIT (a kit containing safe delivery materials), trained over 2000 widows on small scale trading with a grant of N20, 000 and constantly provides food and materials to home orphans and physically challenged persons.
Within this period, the Adamawa state governor provided refrigerated meat vans to Yola abattoir, stamped out avaian influenza at Toungo and sponsored delegates to attend 41st national council on agric and rural development meeting.
Having zero tolerance for corruption, trainings have been held at the Justice ministry for staff on meditation by the Chartered Institute of Meditation and Reconciliation, addressed the absence of research materials and books neccessary for legal practice and established State Emergency Response Structures.
No space is enough to list or delineate the good work of Governor Bindow in Adamawa State, but these are just a few shades of his positive impact in their lives of the people of the State.
Bindow is not only a progressive governor but has become one of the most influential governors in Nigeria, showing that a leader can make a better State innovatively – in this case, without gloating over the opposition but with developmental thoughts and beliefs.
On the surface, Bindow appears softly different from other great leaders in Nigeria. He certainly is different in progress, personal behavior, mission and integrity.
His core principles are; proactively identifying developmental barriers and removing them, instilling work discipline, emphasizig results, open-mindedness and accepting constructive criticism. Exceptional traits lacking in modern leaders.
History is best told in his work, if you haven’t visited Adamawa in two years, you should visit to withness the unique progress in the State.
Written by Yalwaji Shehu.
