Kano: Developments Amid Resistance

By

Kabiru Inuwa

tsakuwa2000@yahoo.com

 

Any keen observer of the unfolding events in Kano knows that all is not well with the economic development of the state in the last couple of years. The ominous signs of poverty, diseases and squalor are there vividly for any body with a discernable mind to see. That Kano no-longer tick in the economic aspect of our national life is an understatement of fact. But the pertinent questions to ask ourselves are: where will all these unfortunate situations take us in the foreseeable future? How can we arrest the ugly incidence in this modern, knowledge based and technology driven era? Shall we continue to be static and refuse to move with time? Shall we continue as mere hawkers of good manufactured in other areas while our teeming friends are there unemployed?

 

For how long shall our people remain impervious to changes in this modern competitive age? When will they start to embrace new ideas, so that our state can recover from many years of retrogression occasioned by the nonchalant attitudes of some of our administrators in cahoots with some disgruntle and unpatriotic elements? For how long shall we remain naïve to positive transformation in the face of dwindling economic fortunes of the state vis-à-vis other states like Lagos, Abuja and Dubai?

 

History have informed us about how the legendary governor Abdu Bako of blessed memory suffered in his effort to transformed Kano from a small agrarian town into a bustling, modern industrial city. His effort saw to the construction of infrastructural facilities, industrial estates, Massive housing scheme and schools etc, to the extent that up to today, he is viewed with admiration as the father of modern kano.He was a man of extra-ordinary vision and foresight who on many occasion, had to employed forces to effect the modernization of many vital projects.

 

It becomes a norm rather than exception, for the people to resist every attempt to execute a vital project for the glory and progress of our state. Projects like: the Kadawa irrigation scheme as important as it is was opposed, but today the people living around the area are better for it. The same applied to the expansion and re-construction of Abdullahi Wase Road (sabon/titi) by the administration of Air vice marshal Hamza Abdullahi (Rtd), because it involved demolition and relocation of settlements, it was equally opposed. This opposition was not limited to physical infrastructures alone, as even a Nobel idea of Science schools for boys and girls the first of its kind in the country at that time, was resisted; it took the tenacity and doggedness of the originators of the concept like professor Ayagi and Alhaji Ado Gwaram for the idea to scaled through. This singular visionary effort today resulted in Kano having the highest concentration of Doctors, Engineers, pharmacist and several other professionals throughout the so-called far Northern Nigeria doing Kano and the nation proud in various strata of our national life.

 

 Our desire to remain in-situ economically just has to give way to a new drive for a knowledge-driven economy that will give us a competitive edge in businesses as this will quicken economic developments through massive outside investment and general improvement in the quality of life. Since a highly skilled citizenry, has more creativity, higher output and easily employable, it becomes mandatory for Kano people to embrace ICT infrastructures to be able to develop their economy as a surest way out of the present economic quagmire. This may partly be the reason why  some business concern that were domiciled in Kano for a long time, began to quietly re-locate to Abuja, the federal capital territory; thus aggravating the already ridiculous un-employment scale of the state.

 

 

 But the  strong aversion however, are sometimes well justified, especially when viewed from the prism of the very bitter and painful experience of the controversial issue of meningitis and measles epidemic, where a well known international company conducted clinical test on 200 children as guinea-pigs which resulted in death for some of the children and permanent disabilities for the others. This resulted in people having resentment and distrust for anything to do with immunization. But can we justify our persistent resistance by any stretch of the imagination when it involved economic development and social transformation in this modern hi-wired technological break through? It is therefore highly imperative for the people to re-orient themselves and braced-up to the challenges by imbibing the culture of positive thinking; through re-structuring of their attitudes to be in tandem with global trends. This is the only panacea against the current un-enviable average position of Kano in the Chukuma Soludo’s recent poverty index categorization.

 

Kano people need to embrace new line of thinking in the way they view issues. They need an attitudinal changes in thought and actions to reflect a new positive perspectives so that, the economic doldrums ravaging the state may be a things of the past. Enterprising and adventurous spirit with strong desire to take risk at all time should be their guiding principle. They should also try as much as possible to do away with pessimism, inertia and slow-motion in order to fast-track the revival of our economy.

 

It is heart warming however to note that,the present civilian government in conjunction with the federal government, have made economic rejuvenation a top-most priority by embarking on many ambitious projects that hold much promise to impact positively on the life of the down-trodden masses. Projects like the new dry port at Zawaciki, export processing zone at Panisau and the new multi-billion naira ultra-modern Singer market and the re-construction and expansion of lagos-kano railway gauge, in addition to the likely rehabilitation of the Mallam Aminu Kano international airport back to its former glory are likely to rescue the state from the current economic perdition.

 

The news about the approval by the Federal Government to re-route an earlier proposed gas pipe-line through Katsina state to some West African countries via Kano state is also no- doubt a very welcome and interesting development; considering the immense benefits that will ultimately result from the project. The gas pipe line hold the key out of the lingering energy crises in the state as it will help in the resuscitation of our hitherto moribund economy through the setting up of an Independent Power supply(IPP),thereby assisting in no-small measure in the revitalizing of  our ailing industries and massive employments opportunities for our friends.

 

 

 

However, can all these new development initiatives be realize considering the well known resistance, innate conservatisms and strong aversion of Kano people to embrace new ideas however Nobel and beneficial, like earlier pointed out? Evidence abounds where projects that proves beneficial to the generality of the people are abandoned half-way due to strong apathy and selfish interest of a few elements. The case of an ultra-modern, international market along Zoo Road and a modern shopping complex at Farm-center along Zaria road are clear case in point. These projects were conceived by the civilian administration of Alhaji Abubakar Rimi to inject new ideas and innovation into the way businesses are conducted then; But were opposed vehemently by some interested party. The projects now constituted an eye-sore and a sad reminder of our wasted opportunity, which projected a very sad commentary of our desire to remain perpetually under-developed economically.

 

With the new resolves by government to put the state on proper economic pedestals. And with the proposed Multi-billion Naira ICT village, it remains to be seen how the ultra-conservative populace will embraces the knowledge-based business opportunity, by substituting local trading with, e-learning, e-commerce and the newly introduced iphone telephony; to be able to tapped adequately in the vast area of modern technological know how. It is also the hope of all progressive Kano people that, the newly proposed Ultra-modern Singer market to be sited at eastern by-pass, whose construction is schedule to commence by august in-sha Allah, will be supported for the obvious benefits that will eventually accrue to the people, by way of employment, de-congestion of the already over-crowded old singer market which at present constituted a nuisance to both the traders and the motorist.

 

A vital revenue earner for the state like these gigantic projects must be carried out even if it requires the use of force as was the case with the previous Government. Because the interest of an infinitesimal percentage can not be allow to truncate the progress and well being of the majority as already  some disgruntle traders have began to opposed the laudable initiatives as usual due to selfish reasons. Under no circumstances should this and many more laudable projects be allowed to become another “Kano white Elephants” sadly dotting the landscape of the state.

 

And for the current civilian administration to be remembered positively by history, like the two best administrations that have governed Kano so far, it must adopt a pro-active and decisive measure in its dealing with the people with negative idiosyncrasies in matters of urgent state importance. This I believed will enable it to occupy a vantage position as one of the best administration after the duo of the legendary former governor late Abdu Bako and the maverick, flamboyant and indefatigable former governor Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Rimi of Sumaila; perhaps Kano may ultimately regain its lost economic glory to the admiration and benefits of all.

 

Kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa