Public policies in modern political systems are purposive or goal-oriented statements involving a deliberate choice of actions designed to attain those goals and objectives under the influence of values. As argued by Plato, “governance is a matter of skill and expertise and therefore, should be left to experts.” In his administration of Gombe State, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, is propelled by the need to pay special attention to the processes and strategies through which leadership emerges as well as the quality of the leadership which must be anchored on measurable performance, insisting that an administration that fails to harness the power of innovation will eventually become the customers of those that do. A significant part of the study of Governor Dankwambo’s policies and programmes in Gombe consists of the development of scenarios and extrapolations of contemporary trends in the state’s politics and his strong determination to effect a ‘revolutionary’ shift in direction, more concerned about the complex functions of socio-economic progress of the state. Under the Dankwambo-led administration, government is not merely the keeper of peace and arbiter of disputes, which constitutionally, it has sworn to uphold; it is the provider of common good and day-to-day services; the Dankwambo-led administration has become the principal innovator, the major determiner of social and economic programmes and the main financial as well as the main guarantor of small and medium scale enterprises. There is an apparent political will on Governor Dankwambo to sustain the present momentum by making use of up-to-date and relevant technological innovations, adopt and facilitate necessary institutional changes, increase agricultural production of farm inputs, make full use of human and other resources to improve the level of living. A frontline Nigerian academic and scholar had once described Governor Dankwambo as a politician in a class and world of his own and not a politician in the mould of a typical Nigerian politician; he is in a hurry to develop the state. In his advocacy of education and knowledge gained through rigorous self-development, Governor Dankwambo has listed data management capabilities as essential tool for successful statecraft in the 21st Century. “A leader in the 21st Century,” he exclaimed, “must be a repository of knowledge; it must interest him to know many things, such that whatever he chooses not to know must be clearly unimportant” In Gombe State, Governor Dankwambo’s philosophy of good governance is about humanity; protecting people; providing economic opportunities bothering on wealth and job creation; providing education and healthcare, depending on the complexity of the problem from place to place and influencing decision-making for the good of the citizenry. From its inception, the Dankwambo-led administration has demonstrated its intention not to leave any stone unturned in its pursuit of total turnaround of the state. In line with this objective, various policies and programmes and other lines of action were set in motion by the administration and its think-tank which as a matter of priority, was the development of infrastructure in its numerous ramifications. This position was not accidental, but evident from the alarming infrastructural deficit in the state. Underscoring its seriousness, the Governor undertook a statewide tour of the entire 11 local government areas after which he lined up several capital projects for implementation, and with an uncommon zeal established, a process of monitoring and evaluation consistent with expectations on projects of such magnitude where the true state of projects are brought to the fore via the weaponry of inspection. For a government invented with less words but action, such inspections have become a regular phenomenon and has been a key factor in the quick delivery of several capital projects that have brought the state to its current status as one of the fastest developing states within the federation, perhaps only next in line to Governor Fashola’s Lagos state. His uncompromising stance in putting contractors on their toes remains a critical element that surrounds the execution and successful completion of projects in the state. The administration in Gombe provides fresh awareness which reflects remarkable forward-thinking decisions on the part of leadership. Once described as a big village, Gombe is now at the threshold of modern day development, evident from the huge transformation that is taking place in virtually all sectors of the state’s economy; adorned with electronic street lights; water supply continues to increase on a daily basis and desperate living conditions are daily being mitigated. Irrespective of which sector one wishes to observe it, the Dankwambo-led administration has touched every life in all sectors of the economy. It is the roads that truly democratises society and makes the people more equal and interactive than they would probably have thought, bringing in its wake, appreciable property values and employment. The massive construction and modernisation of hundreds of roads and bridges in virtually all the local government areas have not only impacted on the efficiency of transportation and enhanced property values but also improved safety, security and better economic productivity. No wonder Governor Dankwambo said “massive infrastructure renewal and expansion across diverse sectors is a key opportunity of virtually constructing our way out of poverty” Flowing from the jointly designed economic objective and educational framework to drive it, the administration went ahead with the massive investment in developing the infrastructure and policies that will sustain such an economy including roads, providing power and development of agriculture to stimulate production. A new state of entrepreneurs as a strategic plan to control the future, citing the example of many cities rapidly urbanising with the attendance problem of overcrowding and transport congestion; specialisation and skill acquisition based on diversity with entrepreneurship, innovation and planning as cross-cutting skills. Question of policy implementation in Government ultimately rests on the application of knowledge to political decision. In his estimation of the impact of public policy on his administration’s programmes, Governor Dankwambo has applied his knowledge of finance and fiscal discipline to forge developmental partnerships instead of perpetuating dependency based on an expectation of benevolence, applying his economic policies to secure the future of the generation of young people who now look forward to his leadership. His administration is a confluence of ideas to tackle and consider from a unique perspective, the issues that challenge the state. The Financial Services Agreement (FSA), he said, would continue to provide a platform for public and private sector collaboration to drive development to Gombe and secure a better economic future for the state citizenry. The FSA is about alternative thinking because it takes the view that alternative innovative ideas are the key to the future, noting that his administration must turn normalcy around, stand things on their heads, push back the frontiers and literally rattle the cage to stimulate innovation and pursue creative solutions to societal problems, while qualifying his Modern Commodity Depot and Exchange Centre approach as one of the most revolutionary industrial evolution to happen to the state, capable of not only taking Gombe, but Nigeria as a whole to the frontiers of global economic attention. His capital market approach taking Gombe to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), for a Bond of N20 billion, repayable in seven years, granted an assurance of a second term in office, also signifies for the first time that Gombe, though ranked 33rd on the nation’s population and state allocation index manifests a serious statement of intent that the administration will not play a second fiddle to none among his compatriots within the federation. His administration’s bid at the Capital Market was swallowed up within days of his presentation, only comparable to the Lagos State Government’s bid in terms of feasibility and urgency, denoting official approval to Governor Dankwambo’s stringent economic policies and prudence in fund management. The Governor declared of the outcome of his successful bid to the Stock Exchange thus: “Just as every new challenge throws up the potential to find a solution, my administration in Gombe has the answers to challenges of wealth creation, but would not resonate if the entire state citizenry, including the elite speak as one, because inherent in unity is strength.” He admonished further that it is when citizens set aside their private interests, completely identify with the state and give it their best that common good can be achieved. He also postulated that the prospects for a future of economic progress and prosperity are reasonably assured but with the need for people to change their perception of government. The Bond has been deployed in a methodical and transparent manner, using the state’s annual budget as instrument policy formulation and implementation to deliver on the expectation of the people in areas considered the most compelling such as infrastructure renewal, healthcare delivery, agriculture, education and water supply. The administration has taken it upon itself to ensure that public schools compete favourably with private schools in terms of facilities in such a way that pupils who do not attend private schools would not have lost anything. The essential meaning of responsibility is accountability in human fulfillment in the shaping of society’s future. The submission of the General Abdusalami Abubakar-led Committee on Education and its admonition of past administrations in the state responsible for the fallen standard of education means that certain values that were embedded in the state’s education in the past have been eroded, emphasising the need to go back to those values that made the education system acceptable in the past. The Dankwambo-led administration was thus compelled to invest massively in infrastructure renewal and reforms in education that gulped well over N4 billion within the first four months of the administration. The facilities being made available to students in Gombe state by the present administration are such that would lead to manpower resources to the State Public Service in the future. Power is a major enabler the same way Agriculture is, because through it, an agro-industrial base which is a platform for increased industrialisation can be created. When one considers transportation, the ability to move goods around easily, there is growth which in itself unlocks opportunity in other sectors; the corollary there is that any growth that touches on power, food security, transportation and housing affects the generality of the people. Governor Dankwambo who said his administration has deployed financial resources, time and personnel to agriculture in the last two years insisted it is not only to address her food security challenges but also to open up the value chain for participation and opportunities in the agricultural sector which he emphasised must also be about food processing, food packaging and merchandising including possibilities of Commodity Exchange. In line with his administration’s tradition of being a benchmark for good practices and a primus inter pares among his contemporaries, he recently performed the kick-off of the construction and dualisation of the 49-kilometre stretch from Tunfure-Lawanti road access to the Gombe International Airport as a statement of the quality and standard the Dankwambo-led administration attaches to the efficient transportation of produce from within and outside Gombe and the country in general. With just close to two and half years in office, most of the capital projects earlier initiated in the life of the administration have been completed and latter ones turned full circle, repositioning the state as the true Jewel in the Savannah, serving as a benchmark for other aspiring states within the sub-region. “In Government, every idea has its pilot and teething stages; no policy is ever worth its value without experimenting. Administrators must show needed courage and innovations to chart new course where none seems to exist as it is only perseverance that leads to progress and success.” With the Dankwambo-led administration’s open-door policy and an all-inclusive executive council working in unison for the state’s complete economic independence, no one should sit in criticism corner but play his part from where he will be in a better position to point out errors. “The administration in Gombe under my leadership is receptive to new ideas as it will always adopt new ways of doing things once it is convinced. It will enable the administration to engage in such issues as are of public importance and are concerned with the transformation of mvalues; they also hold a people together and maintain an orderly state,” Governor Dankwambo enjoined. Adamu N.Dukku.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 12:18:45 +0000
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