By Imam Imam
Today, May 29, 2016, the present democratic experiment clocked one year, and all over the country, governments are expected to roll out the drums to celebrate their achievements and make renewed commitments to the citizenry.
In Sokoto, it has been 366 days since the inauguration of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as governor. It has been a different approach to governance. While expectations were high following the ouster of the former ruling party at the national level, Tambuwal and his team understood the need to render diligent service to the people. That diligence was spiced up with innovations that have not only made the necessary impact, but have galvanised the citizens into being part of the governance process.
As a member of the newbreed political class, it is safe to say that Tambuwal and his team know too well that doing things the old way is never an option. Because in addition to the glaring failure of the past, the old ways have left a toxic feel in the political firmament of the nation.
To make the future secure, the present has to be ruffled. Far-reaching – and I dare add innovative – decisions were taken to ensure that the mistakes of the past were not repeated while at the same time making the necessary impact on the people. Key sectors in the state have felt the impact. As one columnist recently pointed out, in Sokoto, governance trumps politics because all the buttons of development have been pressed.
The last one year has seen its fair share of emotional pain for the people of Sokoto. In September 2015, 114 persons who were away for the annual Muslim pilgrimage died during the now infamous Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia; 22 other citizens have been missing since then while two sustained various degrees of injury. They were treated and discharged. Reeling from this pain for a huge number of its citizens, Tambuwal quickly stepped in by providing support to the families of the victims. In that regard, N500,000 was given to each family of the 138 victims.
In terms of social intervention, Sokoto is above its peers in the country. Even when the federal government was yet to decide on payment of allowances to the vulnerable members of the society, Sokoto had implemented the policy by giving the sum of N6,500 to extremely poor citizens monthly. In addition to this, less-privileged members of the society do not have to pay for drugs in hospitals because the government sets aside N10 million monthly for provision of free prescribed drugs to the sick who cannot afford to purchase the drugs. The funds are kept in select hospitals and pharmaceutical stores in different parts of the state for easy access.
In education, the impact made by Tambuwal is very visible. First, he declared a state of emergency in the sector and followed that up with a release of N1 billion for settlement of fees for Sokoto students studying in various schools across the globe. The school expansion and renovation project has already commenced in four schools: GGC Rabah, GGMSS Illela, GSS Tureta and GDSS Sabon Birni. The government also provided free forms to 8,000 unified tertiary institutions admissions examinations candidates in April this year.
As a demonstration of its new-found commitment to the sector, government set aside 29 per cent of its 2016 budget estimate for education, the highest allocation in the budget and far above the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)-recommended 26 per cent. Government thereafter flagged off a programme to enrol over one million children into schools in the present academic calendar. Happily, the target has already been met after a total 1,193,760 pupils were enrolled into basic education level for the 2015/2016 academic session. More teachers have been recruited, while a committee set up to proffer solution to the challenges confronting the sector has just submitted an interim report.
In addition to the provision of free drugs, government passed legislation that totally transformed the delivery of service in the primary healthcare (PHC) sub-sector. The PHC under-one-roof policy has streamlined control and removed unnecessary bureaucracy in the implementation of health goals in Sokoto.
In terms of immunisation, after certifying the state free of polio, lassa and guinea worm, one million children were immunised against measles in February alone.
Within the first few months of the second year of the present administration, a signature policy, one that will transform healthcare delivery in the state for ever, will come into effect. About three million citizens are expected to benefit from the Community Contributory Health Scheme. It will expand access to heathcare delivery, reduce the number of those uninsured and importantly reduce medical costs at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. This will form a giant leap towards the famed healthcare for all policy.
One of Tambuwal’s campaign promises was to enhance collaboration with the private sector and empower small businesses to deliver quality service to the populace. In that regard, the sum of N2 billion was set aside by the government and the Bank of Industry (BoI) as intervention fund for the development of micro, small and medium scale enterprises in Sokoto. Another N2 billion set aside for the implementation of United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)’s 2016 Work Plan in Sokoto. The sectors are education, health, environment, sanitation and nutrition.
Not contented with that, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two firms, Erisco Foods Limited and Prime Gold Fertiliser Company, for the establishment of a tomato processing factory and a fertiliser plant in Sokoto. Works towards implementation are at advanced stage. When completed, both entities will provide employment opportunities to thousands of people and open markets for farmers and their produce.
Tambuwal’s innovative approach to leadership is more visible in the management of the state’s environment. After re-introducing the monthly sanitation exercise following a decade of suspension, the government then introduced a monetary incentive to have the cleanest neighbourhood rewarded with cash. Without much prompting, people embraced the idea and the quantity of refuse from inner streets within the few weeks of the implementation nearly overpowered evacuators. Residents have not looked back since then. Sokoto has now regained its place as one of the cleanest cities in the federation. To mitigate the effect of desert encroachment, it is now mandatory for any person building a new house in Sokoto to plant a tree within his/her premises.
No space will properly capture what Tambuwal has done in the last one year. But it is worth mentioning here that having created employment opportunity for close to 20,000 people in different sectors, notably agriculture, mining and the state civil service, and seeing to the creation of 1,000 new millionaires following the payment of N2.6 billion to nearly 2,000 retirees, the upward trajectory of impact on the economy of the state will only continue.
After coming to power in a time of raging economic crisis, with many states struggling to even pay monthly salaries of their workers, Tambuwal has steadied the ship and prevented a wreck. In one year, he has engineered quite a few quiet revolutions that are today making loud impact in his state. His approach to issues like legislative harmony, youth and women empowerment, environment, finance and civil service reforms has reshaped governance and stood his administration out as a government of relentless activism.
• Imam is Special Adviser (Media) to Sokoto State Governor.