How does one determine a failed state? Many might go to the extreme to describe it as a situation where there is absolute breakdown of law and order, where there is complete absence of government. Others, however, would be inclined to limit it to when, despite the existence of a government, the affairs of such state are uncoordinated and there is no development.
Adherents of the second school of thought are wont to classify Jigawa between 1999 and 2007 when Saminu Turaki held sway as governor, as a failed state. This was because, as the current Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, observed recently, things did not work.
First, state ministries were so many that one virtually lost count of them. There were, as Lamido said humorously, Ministry of Gum Arabic, Ministry of Cotton etc. Worse still, they were scattered all over the state.
Since there was no way a modern government could function properly that way, Lamido reduced the number of ministries and had them domiciled in Dutse, the state capital. There, he provided them with office accommodation.
There was also the aspect of human psychology. “People thought they could, as they wished, tamper with government money,” Lamido told journalists. “But we changed all that and plugged all the loopholes,” he added.
Other positive measures to improve the state were taken by the Lamido administration. For instance, some banks which pledged their support for the new government, requesting for cash placement, were told to re-appraise their presence in the state, from the decrepit state of their offices to their low impact on the micro-economy of Jigawa. “If foundations in the UK, US and Canada could be moved with sympathy to help our orphans and refugees,” Lamido said, “why are the banks not doing so?” He said if the banks truly wanted to help the state, they should sink boreholes, build blocks of classrooms and hospital wards. “I asked that the banks be taken round to see how bad things were,” the governor revealed.
The governor’s admonishment yielded result. So far, the banks, have spent over N1 billion, intervening in the education and health sectors, Lamido revealed.
The governor’s attention was then focussed on the less privileged: the lepers, lame, blind and dumb. His government, he said, spends N30 million a month on destitute in the state. “Right now, there are no beggars in Jigawa,” he claimed. It was in this area of intervention, however, that Lamido received flaks. His critics wonder why, rather than merely providing food for the destitute he did not spend such money to train them in specific skills.
His reply was food for thought. Pointing out that his critics who had been working since their twenties were planning to have a befitting retirement at the age of 60 or so, he asked how he could now train a 65-year-old beggar skills when he should, by now, be retired!
Waxing philosophical, he said: “There is commotion at the boys’ quarters. It may become a major crisis unless we at the upper chamber of the duplex attend to the basic needs of the poor.”
– Reported by Ademola Adegbamigbe.
Did you Enjoy this story? you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Random Post
- August 18, 2008 -- UMUAHIA/Tackling Ohakim (0)
- July 7, 2008 -- It’s Never Done (0)
- February 9, 2009 -- Fashola’s Driving Force (6)
- October 20, 2008 -- KANO/Honour For Shekarau (0)
- January 21, 2010 -- The Tycoon Clocks 70 (0)
- November 23, 2009 -- LAGOS: Empowering Youths Through Agriculture (0)
- March 10, 2009 -- Quotes 16 Match, 2009 (0)
- May 11, 2008 -- Buyers Beware (1)
- November 3, 2008 -- The Man, Obama (2)
- April 15, 2008 -- Dock Him! (0)
No tags for this post.
Related posts
Comment