December 12, (THEWILL) – Governor Uba Sani has clocked six months as the chief executive of Kaduna State. Evaluating his administration through the lens of the SUSTAIN manifesto reveals a notable performance, enough to earn him high scores from historians. Even someone without a historical perspective but possessing a keen understanding of policies and governance, and has been tracking the governor’s actions since May 29, would impartially rate him above seventy percent.
The term “SUSTAIN” encapsulates the governor’s 7-point agenda, serving as the foundational principles guiding the administration’s development plans for the state.
Poetically crafted to embody Uba Sani’s passion for quality outcomes, each letter in “SUSTAIN” represents a core focus: Safety and Security (S), Upgrade of Infrastructure (U), Strengthening Institutions (S), Trade and Investment (T), Agriculture (A), Investment in Human Capital (I), and Nurturing Citizens Engagement (N). This acronym symbolises the governor’s comprehensive approach to governance and development.
Aligning the acronym “SUSTAIN” with its literal meaning reveals the governor’s sincere commitment to fortify the state by intricately weaving together its socioeconomic and political fabric, propelling it forward as a dynamic hub of progress. He aims to ensure the state’s vitality, nurture its growth, prevent failure, and sustain it as a foundation that supports a superstructure.
Governor Uba Sani recognises the critical importance of sustaining both the state and its diverse population. He sees his role akin to a piano pedal that lifts the dampers from the strings to orchestrate a harmonious composition. This he desires to produce through the “SUSTAIN” program, responding to public calls for development. Not every leader possesses the creative ingenuity to encapsulate their agenda in a single, impactful word as Uba Sani has done.
While he may have transitioned from the civil society platform, Governor Uba Sani has assumed a more substantial position, wielding greater responsibility to support, uphold, and prevent the state from disintegration. His primary mandate is to nurture, maintain, and sustain the state, providing assistance and comfort to all demographics in discovering their skills. Ultimately, he aims to validate that the 7-point agenda has not only met but exceeded the electorate’s yearnings and aspirations.
Analysing the governor’s first six months in office requires a comprehensive examination of his seven-point SUSTAIN agenda. This entails delving into specific instances, success stories, challenges, and plans. Essential to this assessment is gathering perspectives from stakeholders, citizens, and experts.
The initial focal point of the agenda is acknowledging the crucial role of safety and security in fostering peaceful coexistence. Governor Uba Sani has taken concrete steps to bolster security, involving collaboration with security agencies, community engagement, meetings with leaders of thought, recruitment of 7,000 vigilantes, and the implementation of technology-driven solutions to combat crime and maintain peace. Notably, the state has witnessed a significant reduction in daily attacks and killings, leading to government initiatives to resettle displaced communities. Reassuringly, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa conveyed plans to restore safety during a recent visit.
The second agenda centres on upgrading infrastructure to meet the state’s burgeoning development needs. This encompasses the construction and upkeep of roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure to enhance transportation and connectivity within the state. A notable milestone occurred on September 2 when the governor inaugurated the construction of a 21.7-kilometer road linking 32 communities across two local governments in the northern senatorial zone, and another 6.2-kilometre road in the Kaura Local Government Area in the southern senatorial zone, and 25-kilometre road in Igabi local government in the central senatorial zone.
The third agenda focuses on strengthening state institutions, including the judiciary and the House of Assembly, to operate independently and in alignment with constitutional mandates. Currently, there is adherence to e-governance and ICT guidelines by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) within the public service. This was acknowledged during the 2023 Nigeria Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA)in Lagos in November, especially in the application of ICT in revenue generation, agriculture, health, and education.
In pursuit of the goal of the fourth agenda, trade and investment, the governor has initiated a partnership with the Qatar Charity Foundation and Qatar Sanabil Foundation to build an economic city at the Millennium City, dedicated to nurturing entrepreneurs to boost global trade. He also plans to train 400 skilled youths quarterly across 19 vocations, including Microsoft CISCO, in the three designated zones. The commencement of this initiative was marked by the construction kickoff of a skill acquisition center at Igabi LGA.
This strategic effort is anticipated to yield 1,600 skilled youths annually in various trades, projecting a significant leap in human development from 23% to 46% by 2030. Furthermore, Google.Org has been enlisted to train approximately 5,000 women and girls in cutting-edge IT fields such as artificial intelligence and data science, equipping them with digital tech skills for innovative business applications. This initiative and many others have earned Governor Sani the 2023 Digital Governor of the Year award by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS).
The fifth item on the agenda focuses on agriculture, where Uba Sani has attracted investments from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Ambassador Salem Saeed Alshamsi committing to multi-million dollar private investments. The governor has implemented policies to support farmers, enhance agricultural practices, and boost food production, including providing access to modern farming techniques, technology, and markets.
Moving on to the sixth agenda, investing in human capital, prioritizes sectors like health, education, and social welfare. Governor Sani has launched a comprehensive healthcare transformation initiative, aiming to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare services. This involves upgrading medical facilities, investing in healthcare professionals, and implementing public health programs to address community health issues. Recently, medical equipment was distributed to 290 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs), and the 2014 Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) for the Association of Resident Doctors under the Ministry of Health has been approved. Furthermore, the governor sanctioned the recruitment of 89 medical doctors to address the staffing gap identified in 2017.
Recognizing the importance of education, the governor has focused on reforms to improve the quality of education. This includes investments in school infrastructure, teacher training, and curriculum enhancements to ensure that the education system meets international standards. To address the menace of out-of-school children, the government in collaboration with the World Bank Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) plans to build about 100 schools across the state by 2025.
Governor Uba Sani has prioritized social welfare programs to uplift vulnerable populations and reduce poverty. These programs include financial assistance, skill development initiatives, and support for marginalised communities, aiming to create a more inclusive and equitable society. During the inauguration of the inter-religious harmony committee in October, the governor pledged to work with religious leaders to generate data on orphans in the state to benefit from the N5,000 scholarship programme of the Qatar Charity Foundation.
The seventh agenda, nurturing citizens’ engagement, focuses on fostering citizen engagement, emphasizing open government partnership, involving communities in project monitoring, and soliciting timely input from citizens in shaping government policies. Uba Sani’s civil society and activism background have instilled in him the values of openness, inclusivity, and tolerance for diverse views, contributing to effective governance.
Governor Uba Sani, in the past six months, has actively pursued the SUSTAIN agenda in a renewed craving to sustain Kaduna State. No doubt in the months ahead, he will ensure the seven-point agenda impacts the citizens in diverse communities.
*** Written by James Swam, former Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Kaduna State chapter, from Kaduna.
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