Gov Nasiru Idris’ First 100 Days In Office–Yahaya Sarki
One hundred days in the life of any new administration is certainly very important. A serious-minded and focused administration must have a sense of direction while policy guidelines, programmes and activities must be clearly unfolded to the public.
Also, agenda setting and implementation are paramount to the success of any new administration.
Consequently, these are the first yardsticks to measure good leadership and responsible governance.
Upon his swearing in as fourth democratically-elected Governor of Kebbi state on 29th May,2023 at the historic occasion held at the Haliru Abdu Stadium, Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State Capital, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris (Kauran Gwandu) hit the ground running through the announcement of his people-oriented agenda to people of Kebbi State .
A quick glimpse at the strategically crafted agenda of Kauran Gwandu, one will have the notion and confidence that Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu is the man to beat, the iconic leader, the gentleman that Kebbians have been yearning for all these years. In fact, he is the best man to succeed the immediate past Governor of the State, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, another equally indefatigable democrat and patriot.
Security, education, agriculture,, health, empowerment and infrastructural development formed the goals and agenda of Kauran Gwandu to Kebbi state people, with emphasis on inclusivity, equity, fair play and justice to all, irrespective of party or religious affiliations.
The people-friendly Governor hit the ground running with his first official engagement by an assessment visit of the abandoned State Secretariat complex project at Gwadangwaji before forming his cabinet.
The project was awarded during the Dakingari administration in 2012 and the contract for its completion was reawarded by the immediate past Governor of the State, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, but the project was abandoned by the contractor.
He said: ‘It is part of the projects I have inherited and I have assured the Kebbi State workers through the Head of Service that when I come I am going to complete the Secretariat’ .
The multi-million naira Secretariat complex project is aimed at providing the hardworking, loyal and obedient Kebbi civil servants an enabling working environment for the attainment of maximum productivity which is also in line with reform agenda of the civil service by the Kauran Gwandu-led administration.
A 10 billion naira MOU was signed for the completion of the ultra-modern State Secretariat complex project.
Security as the top- most priority of Kauran Gwandu has recorded unprecedented progress within the one hundred days of the Kauran Gwandu administration.
All the outstanding allowances of the security personnel operating in the areas affected by banditry were immediately paid off by the government to put more vigour in the fight against crimes and criminal elements in the state particularly in the Zuru Emirate where the activities of the bandits are more pronounced.
The resilient and caring Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu , demonstrated compassion, love and sympathy by visiting the hard-to-reach villages of Shanga Local Government, Tungar Makera and Tarana where the bandits attacked , killed and rustled livestock of the residents of the communities.
The Kauran Gwandu, who was on a sympathy visit, also donated relief assistance to the victims and assured them and the Emir of Yauri, Dr. Zayyanu Abdullahi, who was there physically to receive him of the determination of the State government to end all forms of insecurity in the state.
A similar exercise was carried out by the SSG, Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafidan Yauri and other top government functionaries in Fakai and Sakaba local Governments where relief assistance ; cash and food items were donated to the victims of banditry as directed by the Governor.
All within one hundred days in office, the Governor approved the appointment of some key principal officers in his administration particularly the SSG, Chief of Staff, Government House and three (3) Media Aides, and followed this with the appointment of 30 Special Advisers and assigned portfolios to them.
The environment of Kebbi State, particularly the State Capital, Birnin Kebbi witnessed an unprecedented clean up with the evacuation and desilting of drainages in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
Young people were gainfully engaged to participate in the exercise, thereby providing a temporary source of employment to them. Kauran Gwandu graciously approved the release of fifty million naira for the environmental sanitation exercise.
Religious aspect of the State also relieved the midas touch of the Kauran Gwandu administration in his one hundred days in office.
The Governor, who personally embarked on holy pilgrimage to Mecca with pilgrims from the state , said he did so with his supportive family to pray for the State and ensure the welfare of pilgrims as well as a hitch-free Hajj exercise by all the pilgrims from the State.
The Governor said: ‘ I will also be in Saudi Arabia with you to make sure your welfare receives utmost attention and improve upon areas with challenges’.
It was a celebration galore for civil servants, political office holders, women and youth organizations, religious as well as community leaders as the Governor made money available to enable them to buy rams and foodstuffs for their families to enjoy the festive period of Sallah ( Eid al- Adah).
This development prompted the Kebbi State Head of Service, Alhaji Sufyanu Garba Bena to issue a statement expressing appreciation to the Governor for the kind and invaluable gesture to the civil servants in the State.
The compassionate Governor while in the Holy land of Mecca, Saudi Arabia performing pilgrimage, heard of the devastating effect of rainstorm which destroyed over 150 houses in Zauro Town of Birnin Kebbi Local Government , and directed relevant agencies such as Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency, KSEMA and other stakeholders to come to the aid of Zauro victims with relief assistance worth millions of naira.
Farmers in the state have never had it so good in the history of Kebbi State with what they have enjoyed within the one hundred days of Governor Dr. Nasir Idris in office as Kebbi State Government distributed N2.3billion worth of fertilisers to farmers across the 21 local governments free of charge to boost agricultural production.
Committees were set up by the Governor chaired by Special Advisers to ensure justice and equity in the distribution as well as to ensure that the commodity reached the target genuine farmers in all the 21 Local Governments in the State.
In line with his campaign promise to make Birnin Kebbi a befitting State Capital, not a glorified local government headquarters, the Governor took a major step with regard to ‘REMODELING KEBBI STATE CAPITAL, BIRNIN KEBBI’ on 25/7/2023 by awarding the contract for the reconstruction of major roads in the state capital to Habib Engineering Nigeria Limited.
At the contract signing ceremony with the construction firm, His Excellency, the Governor of Kebbi State, Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris Kauran Gwandu said the signing of the contract for the rehabilitation of Birnin Kebbi township roads was a clear testimony of his administration’s determination to beautify the State capital in fulfillment of his campaign promises.
The project is to gulp over nine billion naira, entailing the rehabilitation of 15 kilometres of road in the city from NNPC mega station through Emir Haruna road to Haliru Abdu round about extending to AP 2 round about to be completed in 18 months, also with the provision of solar streetlights and drainages.
Kauran Gwandu also reiterated that not only the State capital, Birnin Kebbi, other major towns in the four senatorial districts in the State would be urbanised and rural areas too will receive the desired attention in terms of infrastructural development in all the 21 local Governments in Kebbi State.
Knowing full well that education is the backbone of any developed nation, Kebbi Governor also approved N2.4 billion for the construction of new classrooms and renovation of schools in the state under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The acting Executive Chairman of the board, Alhaji Hassan Umar, made this known while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on the happy development.
According to him, ‘The construction comprises 86 new class rooms, renovation of 224 existing classrooms, supply of 7,215 sets of furniture, and construction of 62 units of world-class toilets.
Others are: Construction of five number- wall fence for five primary schools, renovation of one number hall and two number hostels, and equipment of three schools with ICT gadgets and facilities as well as drilling of eight number motorised boreholes’.
The projects were expected to be completed within six weeks, he noted.
Also in the education sector, Kauran Gwandu approved the payment of registration fees for 2023/2024 academic session for all verified Kebbi State indigenes studying in Usman Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS).
This kind gesture by the Governor was to encourage the students to get sound education and to ease the difficulties faced by the parents, especially the indigent ones.
That is not all, as the governor has also graciously approved the payment of scholarship to 11 female students at the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri , who were released by bandits.
Electricity, which is an important component for urban and rural development as well as for industrial growth had hitherto been erratic particularly in the state capital, Birnin Kebbi.
The coming of Comrade, Dr.Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu ushered a new dawn for people of Kebbi State in respect of this important energy sector as the Governor has revived the 16 to 17 hours electricity supply .
The State Government under Kauran Gwandu remains the provider for electricity equipment such as transformers, cables and other gadgets for distribution to communities, thus doing the work of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company.
Another history was recorded as the Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris sworn -in 26 Commissioners and created eight new Ministries including the Ministries of Humanitarian Affairs and Internal Security.
Idris also created Ministry of Rural and Community Development, Establishment, Training and Pension, Solid Minerals Development and Mining, Rural and Community, Development, Religious Affairs , Physical Planning and Urban Development as well as Ministry of Digital Economy.
The creation of additional Ministries has paved the way for broadening the civil service and restructuring it for effective service delivery as well as creation of more jobs for citizens of the state.
Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, the Kebbi State Governor has come with a clear mandate to diligently serve the people of Kebbi State, to change the economic fortunes of the State for the better, so that every indigene of the state will be proud of Kebbi- Mr. Yahaya Sarki , who is Governor Nasiru Idris’ Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, writes from Birni Kebbi
