Jigawa
at Five: Still an Egregious Purgatory By
Jibo
Nura
Ahmadu
Bello University Zaria, E-
mail: jibonura@yahoo.com (Date:
29th May, 2004) When
I woke up first thing in the morning of Saturday 29th May
2004, my mind just started reflecting over the happenings in my state.
After reminiscing over time, I feel disgruntled about the pathetic
situations of our people. In fact, I exhausted all my thinking faculty,
trying to picture out meaningful projects in the state from 1999 to
date, but only came to conclude that there are nothing much to show in
terms of significant developments throughout this five year of
democratic rule. The only thing that one can ubiquitously see, that is
even if he/she cares to look, are nothing other than comical overtures,
which have been installed permanently into the polity by the
‘claimed’ political trumpeters; who hardly convince their
electorates on the authenticity of their policies, nor can they explain
the genuine ness of their kangaroo set ups. Though the government of the
state always claims that it has performed above average, but looking
closely at its activities, one would find that boundaries no longer
exist between some of its activities and those in the presidency.
Perhaps, it could be the reason why President Olusegun Obasanjo
reportedly commended the Governor for doing something out of the
ordinary. Because the duo (Turaki and Obasanjo) share something in
common- globetrotting! Hence, Turaki’s incessant travels abroad could
attract such commendations from Obasanjo. Actually,
even before the president’s and other international organ’s blind
commendations, Turaki’s disenchanted projects deserve commendation of
a non-performer. For instance, the ‘internet bank’ in Dutse,
‘alternative energy center’ in Buji, ‘sugar cane factory’ in
Hadejia, ‘school of informatics’ (first of its kind in Africa!),
research institute, which was born out of the mosquito and citrus
research teams sent to Brazil and China in 2001; are some of the
incredible programmes that disturb the people of Jigawa state. The
question here is that have these projects any impact or direct relevance
to the people of the state? Jigawa being largely rural and considering
the fact that 90 percent of their populations are peasant farmers and
workers, it is expected that the condition of existence of these
toilers, which constitutes the majority, should have really mattered.
And as I always argue that the most crucial, pervasive and apparent
aspect of the condition of existence of these people are poverty, acute
need of basic essentials such as clean water, food, electricity, roads,
shelter, clothing and education. Everything else is only important in
relation to these problems. Therefore
my own definition of five years of democratic progress and/or dividend
is beyond the farcical Broadband internet access network (Jigawa hub),
which was mischievously alleged that it would be put to completion in
Novenber2001 and that it could cover 75 percent of the world population.
Over six million dollars was spent on this very project but yet not up
to one- third of the state is connected to it, not to talk of supplying
two- third of the world population. What a pity! What I am saying is
also beyond opening Institute of Informatics, where the Jigawa state
government on equipments alone- just to admit 30-40 percent diploma
students inconsiderably spent more than 52 million Naira; let alone
other students in the universities and institutions of higher learning
stranded, without bursary for over two years. Those in Ahmadu Bello
University, who up till today cannot collect their outstanding
allowances due to the government’s selective application of justice,
can testify to this fact. Ironically, these students when put together,
are the least in number when compared to their counterparts in other
states of the country. So where does the rationality behind the
government’s outcry of the student’s welfare lie? Therefore,
when addressing matters like these, one needs to look beyond the
superficial. For, if situations turn out to be sour, then the truth must
be told as such. Hence, the issue is above shuttling out of the country
for over forty days, all in quest for “foreign implementable
projects” for Jigawa state. Though Hadejia farmers will live to regret
the foolhardy of planting large hectares of sugar cane, which was given
to them as “ foreign variety”, even without being shown a single
processor on ground. Certainly,
the issue is: what can Jigawa state people show and boast to Nigerians
and world over, five years after investing her vast wealth in Malaysia,
China, Singapore and Brazil? Definitely,
those investors will one day stand before God and us and offer a
concrete explanation. And that very day is fast approaching. Jibo
Nura, Writes
from: Ahmadu
Bello University, |