Within one year in office, Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has succeeded in implementing a number of notable policies especially in the areas of education and infrastructure. Salisu Ibrahim reports on how a number of challenges continue to confront his administration including the growing insecurity in the state and the groups within and outside the PDP who have been alienated by ‘Kwankwasiyya’.
In the last one month, leading figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a select team of commissioners and technocrats in Kano State were busy rolling out the drums in order to celebrate one year in office of the PDP administration in the state, under governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. After eight years in the trenches as the leading opposition party in the state, the PDP, lost the reigns to the government house through Governor Kwankwaso and eventually reclaimed it once more through him. Thus, in Kano political parlance, it was referred as “hannun karba, hannun mayarwa” meaning, the incumbent who lost to the outgoing is taking over from the outgoing Governor.
From 1999, when democracy returned to the country, a circle in the governorship of the state has been established between the incumbent, Dr. Rabi’u Kwankwaso and the immediate former governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau. But what is it that the PDP administration has to celebrate? Observers are quick to say that while in some areas the government has done very well, in other areas a lot needs to be done to meet the growing challenges in the state.
Just six months into the present Kwankwaso-led administration, the has had to cope with the serious challenge of insecurity to the lives and property of its citizens following the sudden insurgence of Boko Haram on the state on January 20th 2012. The subsequent attacks in the midst of such security challenges continue to generate much anxiety and worry as the frequent attacks have had a negative effect on the state’s economy leading to the re-shaping of the famous commercial city.
From within the government circle, the administration is proud of beautifying the city with inter-locking tiles, provision of functional street lights, improving its revenue generation from a meagre sum of N500million to now over N1.5billion, showing an increase of over 200 percent, developing the educational sector and establishing two additional universities, North West University and another specialised university, in addition to the establishment of new secondary schools. The government has also provided these schools with working materials and infrastructure as well as effective management of the state’s resources among other things.
On the other hand, pundits have it that from the moment the governor took over the administration of the state, as he stepped into government, he stumbled into many problems. One year after, the governor has bitten more than he can chew, the opposition believes. Shortly after he took over, according to Kabiru Gama, a member of the opposition, the governor had rammed into a war of words with his immediate successor and predecessor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, and the revered Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, who had his turn with the governor over Hawan Sallah (a Sallah Festivity that has long history in the state).
There was also the case of the revocation of plots of land at Kofar Na’isa Quarters allocated by the immediate past administration in its wee hours of rein in government, the plots of land were allocated to highly placed individuals but the Kwankwaso administration said whoever received the allocation and attempt to develop the land is “building on quicksand”. The Kofar Nassarawa allocation of an office block allocated to a highly influential personality also became another area of controversy as the governor stood his ground by revoking and converting the complex to a secondary school referred now as “Governor’s College”.
During the last one year, the local media outfits, particularly the radio stations have been awash with complains of the perceived trampling upon of the opponents within and outside the PDP circle by the Kwankwaso administration, who the opposition see as been “insensitive” to the flight of common man through unpopular policies, while his co-party men consider his administration as championing a government by exclusion for recognising only the Kwankwasiyya group, even though they fought and won the war but now ended up in the background.
His co-party men point fingers at him that he abandoned the party (PDP) that brought him to the fore in favour of a political group, ‘Kwankwasiyya’, in all his dealings. While the committee set up by the governor to showcase the achievements of his government are busy organising events, there has been growing criticism on the government’s inability to tackle water shortage, electricity supply and the collapse of more industries and businesses.
There has also been a lot of in-house fighting within the party which the Governor has to contend with and address promptly. Before the emergence of Kwankwaso as the state governor, the three factional groups in the party had to bury their differences which if allowed to continue could lead to the party’s disintegration and possible loss of election. Its three distinct factions that made up the party had to come together and bury their differences in order to win the last gubernatorial election that saw the emergence of Kwankwaso as governor. But the alleged marginalisation of some groups through what some describe as ‘government by exclusion’ may erupt to a level of disagreements that can lead to
?the breakage of the political party sooner or later, as disputes within the party members always smacks of lack of camaraderie that can eventually lead the party for the rocks.
At the party level, already there were some casualties as a score of loyalists that were engaged to help the governor form his team were sacked or disengaged honourably. The chairman of the state’s Primary Management Board, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu, an institution aimed at orchestrating the state’s transformation, was surprisingly removed from office. Up till this moment, no reason has been given as to the removal of the erstwhile seasoned administrator who suddenly lost in the power game.
In the same vein, the Secretary to the state scholarship board, Alhaji Shehu Zimit, the Commissioner of Works, Engineer Bello Mohammed Kiru, were eased out from their positions and assigned to a different portfolio while Umar Sa’id Tudun Wada, the Governor’s spokesperson, and a special assistant to the governor on media, Sa’adatu Babaji decided to leave honourably. Also caught in the gale of fall outs are the retinue of Hisbah Staff some of whom lost out in the screening exercise introduced by the government.
Some of the governor’s loyalists considered to be his favourites but suddenly loss out in the power game are his special advisers on Religious Matters, Ali-Baba Mohammed Fagge, that of Revenue Generation Matters, Alhaji Sani Lawan Kofar Mata. The duos are still in government but little is being heard of them.
Keen political observers in the state say the governor has cut a big pie for himself in the midst of the daunting security challenges and developmental needs of the people that are yearning for his immediate attention.
Observers believed that the PD] in Kano is suffering like a bad marriage. The couples are bickering constantly while they resent their mutual dependency. The reconciliation among party members may have put the party in government yet they bicker among themselves.
So far, there was a deep sense of frustration among the party loyalists because of the feeling of marginalization and their continued alienation by the government. Some members still feel aggrieved that the party leadership was handpicked rather than elected, as such losing the confidence it ought to enjoy from party members.
The depth of those feelings and frustrations among the various groups, particularly those dismayed and disgusted by the way the state governor handles the affairs of the state, was borne of out of their continued irrelevance in the scheme of things. Right now in Kano, some groups of people are of the belief that the governor is handling the state governance on a platform of Kwankwasiyya association even though his election was made possible on the platform of PDP.
In public functions, all PDP supporters must chant the slogan of “Kwankwasiyya” and wear red caps in order to stay afloat, while structures erected in the name of government are also named after Kwankwasiyya. Now a year after, there is growing disenchantment among some loyalists who have started ignoring the red cap, signifying their resistance to the “Kwankwasiyya ideals”, as some members of the parliament and other state officials who hitherto champion the wearing of the “red cap” have to abandon its usage.
Amidst all this development, a big challenge lies ahead of the governor as all the effort so far made by his administration seems to be like a drop in an ocean. The state has introduced a policy for the empowerment of youth and women but majority of youth in the state might have fallen into escape route in either drug addiction, or in football or in other leisurely activities.
A big challenged was raised by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) which disclosed recently that the state might be sitting on a keg of gun powder as significant numbers of its youth are either on drugs or engage in the selling of hard drugs.
Officials of the agency have expressed profound worries that most youth in the state are either taking drugs themselves or are engaged in selling it. So far, there is no hard data to verify the prevalence of the consumption of such substances, but the fact of the matter is that the agency has come out clear to warn the state government on the impending dangers ahead of it. It said that a growing number now hangs on dangerous drugs as the rate of consumption of hard drugs and use addictives especially at home level continue to rise in the state.
Some youth who lack the resources to engage in buying the hard drugs resort to the use of cough syrups or sniff petroleum products or solutions. Those who resorted to the use of cough syrups take it in large quantities to enhance its drowsiness side effect rather than get treatment from it. And the problem cuts across class and background, with so many young people going into the habit with the hope of escaping from the social and economic problems now bedevilling the state.
In the same vein, the rate of youth following football games and hanging out in cyber cafés or watching football matches in stadiums has increased as they find solace whenever they engage in discussions about British Premier Football League or any of the Sambas across Europe, even though they were unable to meet with any of the players. At times, fans of these football clubs do sweat it out whenever there is heated argument among followers of different football clubs. In many instances violence erupts and can result in injuries or even death of some fans.
Political observers are quick to say that while the government seems to be up to the task of tackling the social, economic and religious challenges in the state, the situation requires greater commitment in view of the growing predicament among the youth. “What the person of Kano needs is peace and development and for the government to be successful, it needs to identify the aspirations of its people and work towards solving them. More so, it needs to understand the interest of the people and follow the path of meeting them sincerely”, Mohammed Yusuf said.
Critics say the government has a lot on its hands particularly with the effect of the recent Boko Haram insurgency which has crippled business activities in the state.
For him, the talent and the skills are there among the youth, what remains are measures that will articulate and put them in better use.
In the remaining three years of the Kwankwaso’s administration, the greatest challenge lies in tackling the lingering problems of water scarcity, inadequate shortage of electricity supply, the collapse of industries, the dwindling fortunes of commercial activities and the recent growing mentality among the youth who take solace in either taking drugs or in watching football or other leisurely affairs.