When Senator Bala Mohammed emerged as the duly elected governor of Bauchi State after a keenly contested electoral battle with the then incumbent Governor Bar. M.A. Abubakar, many people within and outside Bauchi State began to pay serious attention to Bauchi State.
Many believed that Senator Bala Muhammed must be a special breed, who has won the confidence of the majority of the people in his previously occupied position while some people also expected him to fail, claiming that most of the leaders who came to power through such popular support in Nigeria always end up performing below expectation.
The quality of a leader is not how many resources he has at his disposal but how well he is capable of allocating the scarce resources available to him to meet the needs, yearning, and aspirations of the people within the shortest possible time. Our country has been thoroughly bedeviled and overwhelmed by series of leaders whose ability to manage and properly allocate human and material resources for the benefit of the people has been terrible.
Two years ago, when His Excellency Governor Bala Muhammed was sworn in, the public infrastructure of our beloved State was in comatose.
The record of our infrastructural deficit portrays the absence of government. Our roads were far from just being bad, many of them were extremely terrible. Many of our roads have become death traps and disasters waiting to happen.
As soon as the current government assumed office he commenced massive rehabilitation of roads that have broken down and construction of new roads.
The road from Sabon Kaura to Jos road was quickly constructed. This opened up economic activities and moved much easier serving as a bye-pass to Jos from the Yelwa axis.
The road is 6.2kilometer long and its strategic importance can never be overemphasized.
The road between Ibrahim Bako and Maiduguri bye-pass which has been calling for the attention of successive governments finally received one from the Bala Mohammad-led administration as it was awarded for construction. A decision that also showed the people of the State that this governor has prepared himself for governance before coming to power.
The decrepit state of the Muda Lawal Market road despite its economic significance did not go unnoticed as the administration of Governor Bala Mohammed rehabilitated the road to the joy of the masses who had suffered untold hardship when the road was in poor condition.
Movement from Raji quarters to Yakubun Bauchi road had become a harrowing experience until the government came on board and rehabilitated the road. That is 1.7Km of road restored its beautiful state.
In the wildest imagination of the people of Misau, they wouldn’t have imagined that the 16km long road from Sade to Akuyam will get constructed. Traveling between these two places has always been horrible. The present governor came in and constructed the road, thereby putting smiles on the face of the people.
It must be noted that the present administration in the state came into power at a time when the economic situation of the country is very poor. The number of funds coming to the state through the federation account spent is very small when compared to what the previous government got yet it has done in two years far more than what the previous government did in four years.
In the ancient and strategic town of Azare, the 1.7kilometre long Tafawa Balewa road has been constructed and the 1.3km Jam’are bye-pass has been constructed too.
For a very long time, there has been an intermittent flooding problem that has constantly trouble Disina Town, leading to wastage of economic resources and sometimes human life. The coming of the Bala Mohammed administration led to the construction of 1.5 kilometers of drainage system to prevent flooding and a 3 km road to make traveling better.
Almost 18 kilometers (specifically 17.7km) of the road is currently being constructed by this administration, that is the road between Giwo Science Academy and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport. This road is important because when foreign investors and tourists visit a place they form opinions about the kind of government the people of the place have from the first set of infrastructure they come in contact with, as soon as they step out of the airport. It is, therefore, necessary to put that road in a good state.
From Warji to Gwaram, from Bogoro to Lusa and Boi to Tapshin all these roads have been constructed in two years to the amazement and the admiration of people from within and outside the State.
Kofar Duni to Railway road, Bakoro to Gwallaga is 1.6 kilometers and it has been constructed by the present administration. The road linking Muda Lawal Market from Mallan Goje through Bakin Kura is 1.4km long and this administration has seen to it that the road is constructed for the use of the masses.
The people of Bununu township are showing their unalloyed support and gratitude towards the current governor for the 2.60 kilometers of road that has been constructed in that town. The 2.5 kilometers of road constructed in Sade has also brought joy to the heart of the inhabitants of the town.
The road leading from Kofar Dumi to Railway road has been constructed and in Itas Gadau town a 24.5km of road is being constructed to make life meaningful for the people. Arinja to Balma to Nasan is 15km and it has jumped back to life, as it is being constructed by this administration in Bauchi State.
The ancient town of Azare was not left unattended in the massive road construction campaign of the Sen. Bala Mohammed lead administration as the 1.3km hospital road in Azare was awarded for construction.
Many of these roads that are receiving attention from the current government had in the past been the Golgotha of many. Many breadwinners of families have died plying those roads. The impact of such tragic events on the future of families and children is immensely great.
When roads are constructed, it is not only lives that are saved, many people are employed and the economic lives of communities where such road construction is taking place to improve tremendously. Many of our farmers in the past have recorded huge losses because their community is not properly connected by road. This narrative is fast changing as the current administration is massively constructing rural roads to the delight of the electorates.
In the past, many of the contracts awarded by the past successive government are shredded in secrecy and submerged in corruption. On his assumption to office Governor, Bala Mohammed promised to review certain contracts that he considered suspicious.
One such contract is the dualization of the Gidan Mai roundabout to Wutin Dada which was completely abandoned by the previous administration.
It is also important to note that when the standard of living of a people is to be measured, the extent to which the human primary needs are satisfied tops the chat. In this century a government that truly cares about its people must ensure that they have access to quality and affordable housing. It is on the backdrop of this that the present government has embarked on an aggressive housing plan.
The government is currently constructing 2,500 housing units which will be distributed to various Emirate Councils in the State. Bauchi Emirate Council, which hosts the state capital will get 1500 housing units while Azare Emirate Council will get 350 housing units. Misau is planned to get 250 housing units while Ningi takes 200 housing units. Jama’are Emirate Council and Das Emirate council will get a Hundred (100) housing units each.
The new Kaura City project is a project which is poised at positioning our state strategically for the future which beckons at us all.
Many people have questioned why the government house is being expanded and renovated. It’s important to let them know that the government house is a symbolic monument that must be kept in the most up-to-date shape as its impact at projecting the quality of governance in the state cannot be glossed over.
One of the indices for measuring the seriousness of any government is the extent to which it takes education seriously. The Senator Bala Mohammed administration has invested massively in education 405 primary and secondary school classrooms have been renovated across the state while another 270 primary and secondary school classrooms have been constructed.
This government has gone a notch higher by partnering with a South Korean Education development agency to develop a cutting–edge digital education initiative which will prepare our children for a digitalized world.
The present government has invested massively in the purchase of teaching aids needed for the proper teaching of our students in Primary and Post Primary Educational Institutions, as not less than a 54million naira worth of learning materials have been purchased. The special school in Kafin Madaki is wearing a new look as it has been renovated. To ensure that our schools do not turn to the epicenter of diseases outbreak thousands of demo-toilet have been constructed in our schools across the state.
All these outstanding achievements in Education in less than 24months have attracted the intervention of the Universal Basic Education Board to the tune of N1,661,779.60K and another 3million US dollars grant received by the Bala Mohammed administrations.
Most disease outbreak in sub-Saharan Africa is directly or indirectly linked to the scarcity of safe and clean water. To prevent needless death and waste of resources, which are the known effect of drinking unclean water, the present administration is construction a reservoir of 7000m3 capacity at Warji to provide portable water, Borehole and a hand pump is being provided in rural and urban communities across the state in large number.
Every part of our beloved country today is facing serious security challenges. Because of the proximity of our state to states considered as hotbeds of Boko-Haram insurgents and some states troubled by bandits; our state would have to be in serious crises if not for the unparalleled conflict prevention wisdom of the amiable governor of Bauchi State. Although security is under the exclusive list in the Nigeria constitution the governor has not kept the security agencies in the State unscattered as he has provided them with 50 operational vehicles.
He also worked hand in hand with renowned hunter and security expert, Alhaji Ali Kwara to carry out some operation, which has lead to the recovery of many sophisticated weapons numbering over a thousand from bandits.
The implementation of the violence against person’s prohibition law has also earned the governor resounding applause from the people of the state and the human rights community.
Nigeria, like many countries, in sub-Saharan Africa, is faced with a very high rate of unemployment among its fast-growing youthful and energetic population. This problem has been linked by security experts to be one of the triggers for the high fate of insecurity currently experienced in our country.
When the incumbent Governor of Bauchi State assumed office, he quickly figured out practical measures through which the prevalent high rate of unemployment can be taken care of 350 and 300 tricycles were distributed in two trenches as part of the youth empowerment drive the current administration. 350 more tricycles will soon be given out again to another set of beneficiaries.
Since women to be more vulnerable to the Pain of poverty, the present administration embarked on a one-off micro-grant me where mostly rural women are given a sum of N10,000 to start small businesses. This was carried out in all the 20 Local Government Areas across the State with at least a thousand (1000) beneficiaries per local government. This scheme was carried out in partnership with the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF).
“Health is wealth” is an age-long maxim that still rings true today. Growth and development will be stagnated in a place populated by sick people-Senator Bala Mohammed emphasized the need to pay attention to the health of the masses. Therefore when he assumed office he approved the Rehabilitation of all the 26 General Hospital across the State. He also orders the construction of 300 additional medical laboratories. 1,117 Primary Health Centres in the State had been rehabilitated and thousands of additional hospital beds were provided Hundreds of toilet facilities were also provided in all health care facilities across. All these have been done in less than 24months. This is unprecedented in the history of our state.
Industrialization and massive economic development are almost impossible in an environment with an epileptic and erratic power supply. Having identified power as a necessary ingredient for industrial growth, the current administration swung into action by signing a mutually beneficial agreement with the Jigawa State government to work together as partners to design, develop and test a 132KVA line from Azare to Misan in Bauchi State.
The administration went further by planning to expand the Azare sub-station from 132KVA to 3000KVA together with turning in and turning out from Gwaran in Jigawa State to Ningi in Bauchi State.
Agriculture is not just the oldest occupation known to mankind but it also the reason mankind is alive today. Everywhere in the world, serious governments pay serious attention to agriculture as it relates to food production. A malnourished population cannot be productive.
The Bauchi State government through the office of the commission for youth and women Rehabilitation has trained over 3000 youths and women in modern-day agricultural skills to make them eligible for the CBN/NIRSAL loans ranging from one to ten million nairas.
More than 5000 farmers across Bauchi State got two bags of fertilizers each at the commencement of the 2020 planting season. Some farmers in the State got tricycles and motorcycles to ease the movement of labour and produce from farm to the city and from city to the farm.
The government also partnered with Eniza Farms to boost local rice production. Many youths were also trained in partnership in the CSS Farms.
Gov. Bala Muhammed was elected, into an office for a four years’ tenure but at halftime, it won’t be incorrect to say he had surpassed the expectation of the majority of the people. He has redefined governance and he and shown the people of his state that beyond reasonable doubt he had prepared himself for this office before now.
After 24 months we can clearly say that the people of Bauchi State made the right choice which I believe they should enjoy to the fullest by allowing this governor to spend the maximum time allowed by the constitution which is 8years.
Culled from Josh Ghani’s submission for Kaura 2nd year in office Competition
